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My Ántonia
My Ántonia

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of My Ántonia is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for My Ántonia
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle BurdenJim Burden, as we still call him in the West.
He and I are old friendswe grew up together in the same Nebraska townand we had much to say to each other.
While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.
The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.
We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

My Ántonia

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of My Ántonia is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle BurdenJim Burden, as we still call him in the West.
Line 2
He and I are old friendswe grew up together in the same Nebraska townand we had much to say to each other.
Line 3
While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.
Line 4
The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.
Line 5
We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

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.

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.”

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.”

All words in this reading · 135

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 I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

about

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

and

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

are

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

as

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

bare

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

be

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

billowy

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

blustery

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

bright-flowered

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

brilliant

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

Burden

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

buried

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

burning

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

by

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

call

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

car

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

childhood

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

climate

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

color

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

companion

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

corn

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

country

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

crossing

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

deep

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

dust

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

each

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

everything

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

extremes

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

fairly

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

flashed

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

for

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

fortune

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

friends

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

good

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

gray

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

green

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

grew

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

groves

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

had

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

happened

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

harvests

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

have

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

He

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

heat

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

heavy

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

him

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

hot

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

I

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

II

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

III

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

in

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

intense

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

INTRODUCTION

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

Iowa

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

is

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

it

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

James

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

Jim

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

Last

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

lay

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

lies

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

like

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

little

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

many

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

miles

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

much

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

my

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

Nebraska

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

never-ending

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

oak

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

observation

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

of

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

old

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

one

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

one's

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

other

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

over

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

pastures

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

plains

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

Quayle

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

red

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

reminded

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

ripe

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

sat

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

say

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

season

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From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

sheet-iron

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

sky

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

smell

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

snow

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

spend

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

stifled

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

still

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

stimulating

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

stripped

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

strong

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

summer

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

summers

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

sun

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

talking

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

the

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

these

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

things

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

through

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

to

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

together

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

touch

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

town

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

towns

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

train

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

traveling

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

under

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

up

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

From this reading He and I are old friends—we grew up together in the same Nebraska town—and we had much to say to each other.

us

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

vegetation

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

was

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

we

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

weeds

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

were

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

West

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

From this reading I II III INTRODUCTION Last summer I happened to be crossing the plains of Iowa in a season of intense heat, and it was my good fortune to have for a traveling companion James Quayle Burden—Jim Burden, as we still call him in the West.

what

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

wheat

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

when

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

where

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

While

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

whole

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

wilting

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

wind

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

From this reading The dust and heat, the burning wind, reminded us of many things.

winters

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

with

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

woodwork

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

From this reading While the train flashed through never-ending miles of ripe wheat, by country towns and bright-flowered pastures and oak groves wilting in the sun, we sat in the observation car, where the woodwork was hot to the touch and red dust lay deep over everything.

world

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

From this reading We were talking about what it is like to spend one’s childhood in little towns like these, buried in wheat and corn, under stimulating extremes of climate: burning summers when the world lies green and billowy beneath a brilliant sky, when one is fairly stifled in vegetation, in the color and smell of strong weeds and heavy harvests; blustery winters with little snow, when the whole country is stripped bare and gray as sheet-iron.

Chapter 1 of My Ántonia by Willa Cather holds 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 My Ántonia contain?

Chapter 1 holds 67 sentences of My Ántonia, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of My Ántonia by Willa Cather exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 My Ántonia?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 My Ántonia

Common questions about reading My Ántonia by Willa Cather on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of My Ántonia?

Yes. All 4862 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #242 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of My Ántonia is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #242, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does My Ántonia take to read?

About 405 minutes of reading across 973 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read My Ántonia section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of My Ántonia 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 My Ántonia

Words and structures a reader meets early in My Ántonia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Ántonia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Ántonia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Ántonia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crossing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Ántonia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.