Chapter 1 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE. By E. HOUGH. PARLOUS TIMES. By D. D. WELLS. LORDS OF THE NORTH.
Chapter 1 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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 young female
From this reading “THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.”
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading “THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.”
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.”
plural of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading “LORDS OF THE NORTH.”
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading “LORDS OF THE NORTH.”
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading “PARLOUS TIMES.”
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
From this reading “By D. D. WELLS.”
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.
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By E. HOUGH.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading By D. D. WELLS.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading By E. HOUGH.
a young female
From this reading THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By E. HOUGH.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.
plural of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading LORDS OF THE NORTH.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading LORDS OF THE NORTH.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LORDS OF THE NORTH.
fraught with danger
From this reading PARLOUS TIMES.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading PARLOUS TIMES.
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
From this reading By D. D. WELLS.
Chapter 1 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 170 sentences of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6078 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34925 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34925, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 506 minutes of reading across 1216 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy 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 Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
