Chapter 1 of Rat Race is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Rat Race is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic. "I can't do anything about this order." Peter Manton blinked. "But it has a Four-A-One priority." Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
Chapter 1 of Rat Race is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 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.
past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes
From this reading “Peter Manton blinked.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.”
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading “"You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “Peter Manton blinked.”
status established in order of importance or urgency
From this reading “"But it has a Four-A-One priority."”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “"You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.”
expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
From this reading “"You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “"You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "But it has a Four-A-One priority."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
any thing at all
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes
From this reading Peter Manton blinked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But it has a Four-A-One priority."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But it has a Four-A-One priority."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
without being seen
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "But it has a Four-A-One priority."
in a jovial manner
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Peter Manton blinked.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter Manton blinked.
status established in order of importance or urgency
From this reading "But it has a Four-A-One priority."
on the contrary
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I can't do anything about this order."
the upper part of anything
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Brannon nodded--invisibly, of course--and said, "Sure you have a top priority.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're nuts," came the reply, but the voice on the telephone was jovially reproving rather than sarcastic.
Chapter 1 of Rat Race by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 487 sentences of Rat Race, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Rat Race by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 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 Rat Race by George O. (George Oliver) Smith 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 #?, unabridged. 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 Rat Race section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Rat Race 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 Rat Race, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
