Chapter 1 of Pitcher Pollock is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Pitcher Pollock is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Want to hire a boy?” Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there. “Want to what?” he asked. “Hire a boy. I’m looking for a job.”
Chapter 1 of Pitcher Pollock is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
United States writer noted for his typographically eccentric poetry (1894-1962)
From this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
engage or hire for work
From this reading ““Want to hire a boy?””
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “I’m looking for a job.””
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “I’m looking for a job.””
a setting in which something can be displayed to best effect
From this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
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.
look about oneself
In this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
In this reading “Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.”
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 “Want to hire a boy?”
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Want to what?” he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
a youthful male person
From this reading “Want to hire a boy?”
United States writer noted for his typographically eccentric poetry (1894-1962)
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I’m looking for a job.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Want to what?” he asked.
engage or hire for work
From this reading “Want to hire a boy?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’m looking for a job.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading I’m looking for a job.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading I’m looking for a job.”
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
a setting in which something can be displayed to best effect
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Want to hire a boy?”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Want to hire a boy?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Want to what?” he asked.
which person or people
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Mr. Cummings looked around and across the showcase at the youth who stood there.
Chapter 1 of Pitcher Pollock by Christy Mathewson holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 163 sentences of Pitcher Pollock, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Pitcher Pollock by Christy Mathewson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 Pitcher Pollock by Christy Mathewson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4442 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50761 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50761, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 370 minutes of reading across 889 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Pitcher Pollock section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Pitcher Pollock 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 Pitcher Pollock, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
