Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Mr. Punch's Railway Book
Mr. Punch's Railway Book

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Mr. Punch's Railway Book is here in full — 476 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mr. Punch's Railway Book
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.
THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.
LTD.
_Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.
PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Mr. Punch's Railway Book

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Mr. Punch's Railway Book is here in full — 476 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.
Line 2
THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.
/ðə ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃənəl bʊk koʊ/
Line 3
LTD.
Line 4
_Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.
Line 5
PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.
/pʌntʃ bɪˈɡæn hɪz lɔːŋ ənd ˈbrɪljənt kərˈɪr hæd ˈpæsəndʒər treɪnz ənd ə ˈreɡjələr ˈsɪstəm ʌv ˈreɪlweɪ ˈtrævəlɪŋ kʌm ˈɪntuː eɡˈzɪstəns/

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.

comic adjective US /ˈkɑːmɪk/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

contributed verb US /kənˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/

past form of “contribute” — bestow a quality on

From this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

cream noun US /kriːm/

the best people or things in a group

From this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

Designed adjective US /dɪˈzaɪnd/

done or made or performed with purpose and intent

From this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

educational adjective US /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃənəl/

relating to the process of education

From this reading “THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.”

passenger noun US /ˈpæsəndʒər/

a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it

From this reading “PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.”

Punch verb US /pʌntʃ/

deliver a quick blow to

From this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

trains noun US /treɪnz/

plural of “train” — public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive

From this reading “PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

brilliant career adjective + noun

In this reading “PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.”

few years adjective + noun

In this reading “_Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.”

contributed by verb + particle counted as “contribute by”

In this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

come into verb + particle

obtain, especially accidentally

In this reading “PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.”

present day verb + noun

In this reading “Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.”

into existence preposition + noun

In this reading “PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

1841

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

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

192

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

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

8

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

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

BOOKnounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.

brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

comicadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmɪk/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

contributedverbUS /kənˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/

past form of “contribute” — bestow a quality on

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

creamnounUS /kriːm/

the best people or things in a group

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

crownnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

DesignedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪnd/

done or made or performed with purpose and intent

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

draughtsmanship

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

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

EDUCATIONALadjectiveUS /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃənəl/

relating to the process of education

From this reading THE EDUCATIONAL BOOK CO.

existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/

the state or fact of existing

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

fullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

humournounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

illustratedverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

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 PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

LTD

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

From this reading LTD.

mastersnounUS /ˈmæstərz/

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

nationaladjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

ONLYadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

passengernounUS /ˈpæsəndʒər/

a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

provideverbUS /prəˈvaɪd/

give something useful or necessary to

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

PunchverbUS /pʌntʃ/

deliver a quick blow to

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

regularadjectiveUS /ˈreɡjələr/

in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

seriesnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

trainsnounUS /treɪnz/

plural of “train” — public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

travellingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/

the act of going from one place to another

From this reading PUNCH began his long and brilliant career had passenger trains and a regular system of railway travelling come into existence.

Twenty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifaɪv/

being five more than twenty

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

vo

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

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/

plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading Designed to provide in a series of volumes, each complete in itself, the cream of our national humour, contributed by the masters of comic draughtsmanship and the leading wits of the age to "Punch," from its beginning in 1841 to the present day.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading _Twenty-five volumes, crown 8vo, 192 pages fully illustrated_ ONLY a few years before MR.

Chapter 1 of Mr. Punch's Railway Book by Phil [Illustrator] May holds 476 sentences, grouped into 96 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.

What does chapter 1 of Mr. Punch's Railway Book contain?

Chapter 1 holds 476 sentences of Mr. Punch's Railway Book, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Mr. Punch's Railway Book by Phil [Illustrator] May exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 476 sentences, grouped into 96 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 Mr. Punch's Railway Book?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 Mr. Punch's Railway Book

Common questions about reading Mr. Punch's Railway Book by Phil [Illustrator] May on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mr. Punch's Railway Book?

Yes. All 973 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35027 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mr. Punch's Railway Book is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35027, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mr. Punch's Railway Book take to read?

About 81 minutes of reading across 195 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mr. Punch's Railway Book section by section

How to work through Mr. Punch's Railway Book section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Mr. Punch's Railway Book 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 Mr. Punch's Railway Book

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mr. Punch's Railway Book, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Designed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Punch's Railway Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Provide
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Punch's Railway Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Punch's Railway Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volumes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Punch's Railway Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.