Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Roast Beef, Medium
Roast Beef, Medium

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Roast Beef, Medium is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Roast Beef, Medium
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of Dawn O'Hara,” Buttered Side Down,” Etc.
With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.
It is a philosophy.
Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.
It agrees with you.
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.

Roast Beef, Medium

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Roast Beef, Medium is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author ofDawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.
Line 2
With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.
Line 3
It is a philosophy.
/ɪt ɪz ə fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/
Line 4
Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.
Line 5
It agrees with you.
/ɪt əˈɡriːz wɪð juː/

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.

agrees verb US /əˈɡriːz/

third-person singular of “agree” — be in accord; be in agreement

From this reading “It agrees with you.”

Buttered verb US /ˈbʌtərd/

past form of “butter” — spread butter on

From this reading “Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.”

entrees noun US /ˈɑːntreɪz/

plural of “entree” — the principal dish of a meal

From this reading “Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.”

illustrations noun US /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading “With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.”

Menu noun US /ˈmenjuː/

a list of dishes available at a restaurant

From this reading “Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.”

Montgomery noun US /mɑːntˈɡʌmri/

Canadian novelist (1874-1942)

From this reading “With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.”

O'Hara noun US /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

From this reading “Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.”

wanders verb US /ˈwɑːndərz/

third-person singular of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading “Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

agreesverbUS /əˈɡriːz/

third-person singular of “agree” — be in accord; be in agreement

From this reading It agrees with you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

BeefnounUS /biːf/

cattle that are reared for their meat

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

ButteredverbUS /ˈbʌtərd/

past form of “butter” — spread butter on

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

d'oeuvres

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

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

DawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

DiningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/

the act of eating dinner

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

DownadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

entreesnounUS /ˈɑːntreɪz/

plural of “entree” — the principal dish of a meal

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

Etc

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

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

Flagg

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

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

hors

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

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

illustrationsnounUS /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a philosophy.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

Life'snounUS /laɪfs/

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

MediumnounUS /ˈmiːdiəm/

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

MenunounUS /ˈmenjuː/

a list of dishes available at a restaurant

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

MontgomerynounUS /mɑːntˈɡʌmri/

Canadian novelist (1874-1942)

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

MoralsnounUS /ˈmɔːrəlz/

motivation based on ideas of right and wrong

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

O'HaranounUS /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

philosophynounUS /fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. (Triết học, đạo lý nhân sinh.)

From this reading It is a philosophy.

RoastverbUS /roʊst/

cook with dry heat, usually in an oven

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

saneadjectiveUS /seɪn/

mentally healthy; free from mental disorder

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

SeatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

SidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Author of “Dawn O'Hara,” “Buttered Side Down,” Etc.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

TablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

twenty-sevennoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-six and one

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

wandersverbUS /ˈwɑːndərz/

third-person singular of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With twenty-seven illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the Menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things _a la_, though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe, and sane, and sure.

Chapter 1 of Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Roast Beef, Medium contain?

Chapter 1 holds 384 sentences of Roast Beef, Medium, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Roast Beef, Medium?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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 Roast Beef, Medium

Common questions about reading Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Roast Beef, Medium?

Yes. All 3585 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6016 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Roast Beef, Medium is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6016, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Roast Beef, Medium take to read?

About 298 minutes of reading across 717 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Roast Beef, Medium section by section

How to work through Roast Beef, Medium section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Roast Beef, Medium 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 Roast Beef, Medium

Words and structures a reader meets early in Roast Beef, Medium, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roast Beef, Medium; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
O'hara
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roast Beef, Medium; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Buttered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roast Beef, Medium; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty-seven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roast Beef, Medium; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.