Chapter 1 of Robur the Conqueror is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Robur the Conqueror is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed! But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!” “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!” “Mind what you are saying, Uncle Prudent!” “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
Chapter 1 of Robur the Conqueror is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading ““And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!””
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading ““And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading ““I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!””
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
From this reading ““Mind what you are saying, Uncle Prudent!””
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading ““I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!””
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading ““And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!””
plural of “threat” — something that is a source of danger
From this reading ““And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!””
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading ““Mind what you are saying, Uncle Prudent!””
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 we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
From this reading “Mind what you are saying, Uncle Prudent!”
express in words
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I maintain that the screw ought to be behind!”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
in or at that place or location
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
plural of “threat” — something that is a source of danger
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “Mind what you are saying, Uncle Prudent!”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
which person or people
From this reading “And the first who says the contrary—” “Indeed!
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading But we will say the contrary so long as there is a place to say it in!”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “And in spite of your threats—” “Mind what you are saying, Bat Fynn!”
Chapter 1 of Robur the Conqueror by Jules Verne holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 68 sentences of Robur the Conqueror, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Robur the Conqueror by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 Robur the Conqueror by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2861 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3808 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3808, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 238 minutes of reading across 573 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Robur the Conqueror section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Robur the Conqueror 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 Robur the Conqueror, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
