Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Pearl of Pearl Island
Pearl of Pearl Island

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Pearl of Pearl Island is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Pearl of Pearl Island
Context Illustration Reading 79/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.
But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.
He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.
But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.
The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.
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.

Pearl of Pearl Island

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Pearl of Pearl Island is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 79/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 391–395

Line 1
She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.
/ʃiː maɪt biː ˈdraɪvɪŋ ðer ənd hiː maɪt kætʃ ɡlɪmps ʌv hɜːr/
Line 2
But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.
/bʌt ʃiː wɑːz nɑːt ənd ɔːl ðə rest wɜːr les ðæn ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː hɪm/
Line 3
He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.
Line 4
But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.
Line 5
The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.
/ðə poʊst wɑːz ʌv kɔːrs ˈoʊ.pən tuː hɪm bʌt æt ðɪs steɪdʒ æt ɔːl ɪˈvents hiː felt ðæt ðə ˈrɪtən wɜːrd wʊd biː ˈemənəntli ˌɪˈnædəkwət ənd ənˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ/

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.

driving adjective US /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading “She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.”

eminently adverb US /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading “The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.”

glimpse noun US /ɡlɪmps/

a quick look

From this reading “She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.”

inadequate adjective US /ˌɪˈnædəkwət/

lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading “The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.”

longed verb US /lɔːŋd/

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading “But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.”

Park noun US /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading “He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.”

post verb US /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading “The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.”

unsatisfying adjective US /ənˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ/

not up to expectations

From this reading “The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

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 But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

CornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

else's

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

eminentlyadverbUS /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

GatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

glimpsenounUS /ɡlɪmps/

a quick look

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

Hyde

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

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

inadequateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnædəkwət/

lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

Kensington

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

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading He found himself at Hyde Park Corner and back again at Kensington Gate.

postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading But the door was still closed in his face, and he longed for the sight of somebody else's as he had never longed before.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading She might be driving there, and he might catch glimpse of her.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

unsatisfyingadjectiveUS /ənˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ/

not up to expectations

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But she was not, and all the rest were less than nothing to him.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The post was of course open to him, but, at this stage at all events, he felt that the written word would be eminently inadequate and unsatisfying.

Chapter 1 of Pearl of Pearl Island by John Oxenham holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Pearl of Pearl Island contain?

Chapter 1 holds 416 sentences of Pearl of Pearl Island, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Pearl of Pearl Island by John Oxenham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Pearl of Pearl Island?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 Pearl of Pearl Island

Common questions about reading Pearl of Pearl Island by John Oxenham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Pearl of Pearl Island?

Yes. All 4149 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15259 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Pearl of Pearl Island is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Pearl of Pearl Island take to read?

About 345 minutes of reading across 830 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Pearl of Pearl Island section by section

How to work through Pearl of Pearl Island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Pearl of Pearl Island 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 Pearl of Pearl Island

Words and structures a reader meets early in Pearl of Pearl Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pearl
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pearl of Pearl Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Iridescent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pearl of Pearl Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shimmering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pearl of Pearl Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glimmering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pearl of Pearl Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.