Chapter 1 of Olivia is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Olivia is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc. The Best of Everything! Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality. Why? Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
Chapter 1 of Olivia is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading “Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.”
possessive form of “dale” — an open river valley (in a hilly area)
possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)
From this reading “Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.”
third-person singular of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.”
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading “Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.”
the quality of being loyal
From this reading ““Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.”
people having common origins or traditions and often comprising a nation
From this reading “Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.”
plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading “Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.”
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 “Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.”
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 Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
for the reason that
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The Best of Everything!
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
possessive form of “dale” — an open river valley (in a hilly area)
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading The Best of Everything!
third-person singular of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
coins made of gold
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
the quality of being loyal
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
people having common origins or traditions and often comprising a nation
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Best of Everything!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Lonie; or, Hollow Gold,” “Claire,” “Elaine,” “Leola Dale’s Fortune,” “Leslie’s Loyalty,” etc.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading Because Americans, as a rule, are better educated and more intelligent.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Best of Everything!
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why?
in the company of; together with
From this reading Our experience with the American reading public has taught us that it expects better reading than readers of any other nationality.
Chapter 1 of Olivia by Charles Garvice holds 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 40 sentences of Olivia, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Olivia by Charles Garvice exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 8 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 Olivia by Charles Garvice on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8972 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #70446 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #70446, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Olivia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Olivia 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 Olivia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
