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One Third Off
One Third Off

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of One Third Off is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
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_Extra!
Extra!
All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?
Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?
I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

One Third Off

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of One Third Off 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

Line 1
_Extra!
/ˈekstrə/
Line 2
Extra!
/ˈekstrə/
Line 3
All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?
/ɔːl əˈbaʊt ðə ɡreɪt rəˈdʌkʃən ðə weɪ aɪ lʊk æt ðɪs θɪŋ ɪz ðɪs weɪ ɪf ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈhæpənz tuː juː ənd baɪ ˈraɪtɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɪt juː kæn meɪk ə bɪt ʌv ˈmʌni ənd æt ðə seɪm taɪm biː ə ˈbenəfæktər tuː ðə reɪs ðen waɪ nɑːt/
Line 4
Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?
/dʌz nɑːt ðə ˌfɪlənˈθrɑːpɪk ˈæspekt ʌv ðə ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən mɔːr ðæn ˈbæləns ɔːf ðə ˈmɜːrsəneri saɪd/
Line 5
I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

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.

balance verb US /ˈbæləns/

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading “Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?”

benefactor noun US /ˈbenəfæktər/

a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)

From this reading “All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?”

estimation noun US /ˌestəˈmeɪʃən/

a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)

From this reading “I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.”

Extra adjective US /ˈekstrə/

more than is needed, desired, or required

From this reading “Extra!”

mercenary noun US /ˈmɜːrsəneri/

a person hired to fight for another country than their own

From this reading “Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?”

philanthropic adjective US /ˌfɪlənˈθrɑːpɪk/

generous in assistance to the poor

From this reading “Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?”

proposition noun US /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading “Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?”

Reduction noun US /rəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of decreasing or reducing something

From this reading “All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?”

All words in this reading · 55

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 All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

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 All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

aspectnounUS /ˈæspekt/

a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

benefactornounUS /ˈbenəfæktər/

a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

Doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

estimationnounUS /ˌestəˈmeɪʃən/

a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

ExtraadjectiveUS /ˈekstrə/

more than is needed, desired, or required

From this reading _Extra!

fair-mindedadjective

of a person; just and impartial; not prejudiced

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

happensverbUS /ˈhæpənz/

third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

mercenarynounUS /ˈmɜːrsəneri/

a person hired to fight for another country than their own

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

philanthropicadjectiveUS /ˌfɪlənˈθrɑːpɪk/

generous in assistance to the poor

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

propositionnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

ReductionnounUS /rəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of decreasing or reducing something

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Does not the philanthropic aspect of the proposition more than balance off the mercenary side?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I hold that it does, or at least that it should, in the estimation of all fair-minded persons.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading All About The Great Reduction!_ The way I look at this thing is this way: If something happens to you and by writing about it you can make a bit of money and at the same time be a benefactor to the race, then why not?

Chapter 1 of One Third Off by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb 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.

What does chapter 1 of One Third Off contain?

Chapter 1 holds 40 sentences of One Third Off, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of One Third Off by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of One Third Off?

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.

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 One Third Off

Common questions about reading One Third Off by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of One Third Off?

Yes. All 700 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16197 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of One Third Off is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16197, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does One Third Off take to read?

About 58 minutes of reading across 140 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read One Third Off section by section

How to work through One Third Off section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of One Third Off 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 One Third Off

Words and structures a reader meets early in One Third Off, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Extra
A word that appears in the opening chapter of One Third Off; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of One Third Off; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of One Third Off; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of One Third Off; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.