Chapter 1 of Press Cuttings is here in full — 524 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Press Cuttings is here in full — 524 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The forenoon of the first of April, 1911. General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters. On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning. On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool. The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
Chapter 1 of Press Cuttings is here in full — 524 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/104 · 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.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading “The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.”
the act of burning something
From this reading “On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.”
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.”
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.”
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading “General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.”
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading “On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.”
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading “On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.”
the act of creating written works
From this reading “General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
the act of burning something
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
start firing a weapon
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
the literary culture
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
precisely, exactly
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
having a supporting base
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading On his right, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an office stool.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the table and the desk.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning.
the act of creating written works
From this reading General Mitchener is at his writing table in the War Office, opening letters.
Chapter 1 of Press Cuttings by Bernard Shaw holds 524 sentences, grouped into 105 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 524 sentences of Press Cuttings, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Press Cuttings by Bernard Shaw exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 524 sentences, grouped into 105 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 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 105 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 Press Cuttings by Bernard Shaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Press Cuttings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Press Cuttings 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 Press Cuttings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
