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Never-Fail Blake
Never-Fail Blake

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Never-Fail Blake is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Never-Fail Blake
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.
Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".
Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.
Then he dropped them again.
"Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.
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.

Never-Fail Blake

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Never-Fail Blake is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.
/ðə ˈprɪntɪd ˈvɜːrʒən ʌv ðɪs bʊk hæd tuː ˈtʃæptər viːz/
Line 2
Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".
Line 3
Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.
Line 4
Then he dropped them again.
/ðen hiː drɑːpt ðem əˈɡen/
Line 5
"Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

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.

Blake noun US /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading “Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.”

chapters noun US /ˈtʃæptərz/

plural of “chapter” — a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading “Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".”

Deputy noun US /ˈdepjəti/

someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies

From this reading “Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.”

Hello noun US /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading “"Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.”

numbered verb US /ˈnʌmbərd/

past form of “number” — add up in number or quantity

From this reading “Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".”

subsequent adjective US /ˈsʌbsəkwənt/

following in time or order

From this reading “Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".”

V's noun US /viːz/

possessive form of “v” — a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading “The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.”

version noun US /ˈvɜːrʒən/

an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint

From this reading “The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Then he dropped them again.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

bnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

BlakenounUS /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

booknounUS /bʊk/

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

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

ChapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

chaptersnounUS /ˈtʃæptərz/

plural of “chapter” — a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

DeputynounUS /ˈdepjəti/

someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading Then he dropped them again.

Elsie

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

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then he dropped them again.

HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

hound's

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

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

numberedverbUS /ˈnʌmbərd/

past form of “number” — add up in number or quantity

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

printedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

RatheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

renumber

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

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

subsequentadjectiveUS /ˈsʌbsəkwənt/

following in time or order

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then he dropped them again.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he dropped them again.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

VnounUS /viː/

a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading Rather than renumber all the subsequent chapters in the book, I numbered the first "V" to "V (a)" and the second one to "V (b)".

V'snounUS /viːz/

possessive form of “v” — a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

versionnounUS /ˈvɜːrʒən/

an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint

From this reading The printed version of this book had two Chapter V's.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "Hello, Elsie!" he said, without looking at her.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Blake, the Second Deputy, raised his gloomy hound's eyes as the door opened and a woman stepped in.

Chapter 1 of Never-Fail Blake by Arthur Stringer holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Never-Fail Blake contain?

Chapter 1 holds 448 sentences of Never-Fail Blake, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Never-Fail Blake by Arthur Stringer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Never-Fail Blake?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 Never-Fail Blake

Common questions about reading Never-Fail Blake by Arthur Stringer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Never-Fail Blake?

Yes. All 3066 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18671 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Never-Fail Blake is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18671, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Never-Fail Blake take to read?

About 255 minutes of reading across 614 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Never-Fail Blake section by section

How to work through Never-Fail Blake section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Never-Fail Blake 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 Never-Fail Blake

Words and structures a reader meets early in Never-Fail Blake, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Printed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never-Fail Blake; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never-Fail Blake; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never-Fail Blake; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rather
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never-Fail Blake; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.