Chapter 1 of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. Volume 108, May 4th, 1895. MAY DAY. (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May. Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
Chapter 1 of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/100 · 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.
plural of “bud” — a partially opened flower
From this reading “Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.”
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading “Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.”
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading “Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.”
an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
From this reading “(_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.”
deliver a quick blow to
From this reading “PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.”
propose a toast to
From this reading “(_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.”
restricted to something
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
plural of “bud” — a partially opened flower
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
a noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple
From this reading PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading MAY DAY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
deliver a quick blow to
From this reading PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
propose a toast to
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
restricted to something
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Everything's changed, or ought to be, Buds are bursting on hedge and tree.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading Volume 108, May 4th, 1895.
accept gladly
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading (_Strictly according to Precedent._) Open the windows, salute the day; Welcome, welcome the First of May.
Chapter 1 of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 by Various holds 501 sentences, grouped into 101 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 501 sentences of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 501 sentences, grouped into 101 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 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 101 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 Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 501 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44759 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44759, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 41 minutes of reading across 101 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895 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 Punch — Vol. 108, May 4th, 1895, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
