Chapter 1 of Northern Lands is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Northern Lands is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NORTHERN LANDS. BOSTON LEE & SHEPARD. _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA. A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE. AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
Chapter 1 of Northern Lands is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a sea in northern Europe; stronghold of the Russian navy
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
plural of “dike” — (slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
plural of “ditch” — a long narrow excavation in the earth
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
a former kingdom in north-central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland
From this reading “_YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.”
United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
creeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves; naturalized in United States; widely grown for forage
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
United States author of surrealistic allegorical plays (born in 1943)
From this reading “BOSTON LEE & SHEPARD.”
any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.”
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.
In this reading “NORTHERN LANDS.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
a sea in northern Europe; stronghold of the Russian navy
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading BOSTON LEE & SHEPARD.
confined by bonds
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
a small house with a single story
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
travel across or pass over
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
plural of “dike” — (slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
plural of “ditch” — a long narrow excavation in the earth
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading NORTHERN LANDS.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading BOSTON LEE & SHEPARD.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading NORTHERN LANDS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
a former kingdom in north-central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
creeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves; naturalized in United States; widely grown for forage
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
United States author of surrealistic allegorical plays (born in 1943)
From this reading BOSTON LEE & SHEPARD.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A STORY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading AUTHOR OF "OUTWARD BOUND," "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE," "RED CROSS," "DIKES AND DITCHES," "PALACE AND COTTAGE," "DOWN THE RHINE," "UP THE BALTIC," ETC.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading _YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD--SECOND SERIES._ NORTHERN LANDS; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
Chapter 1 of Northern Lands by Oliver Optic holds 333 sentences, grouped into 67 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 333 sentences of Northern Lands, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Northern Lands by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 333 sentences, grouped into 67 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 67 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Northern Lands by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5223 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54059 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54059, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 435 minutes of reading across 1045 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Northern Lands section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Northern Lands to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Northern Lands, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
