Rollo's Experiments

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jacob Abbott • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

EXPERIMENTS.

AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

Narrator

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/80

Rollo's Experiments

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

EXPERIMENTS.

/ɪkˈsperəmənts/

Line 2

AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

/ˈɔːθər ʌv ˈrɑːloʊ ˈlɜːrnɪŋ tuː tɔːk tuː red æt wɜːrk æt pleɪ æt skuːl æt veɪˈkeɪʃən siː/

Line 3

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

Line 4

STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

/ˈsteriətaɪpt æt ðə ˈbɑːstən taɪp ənd ˈsteriətaɪp ˈfaʊndri/

Line 5

One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

/wʌn deɪ wen ˈrɑːloʊ wɑːz əˈbaʊt ˈsevən jɪrz oʊld hiː wɑːz ˈsɪtɪŋ əˈpɑːn ðə steps ʌv ðə dɔːr ənd hiː hɜːrd ə nɔɪz ɪn ðə striːt æz ʌv sʌm sɔːrt ʌv ˈkærɪdʒ əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/

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.

Clerk's noun US /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.”

experiments noun US /ɪkˈsperəmənts/

plural of “experiment” — the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading “EXPERIMENTS.”

foundry noun US /ˈfaʊndri/

factory where metal castings are produced

From this reading “STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.”

Massachusetts noun US /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts/

a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.”

rollo noun US /ˈrɑːloʊ/

Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931)

From this reading “AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.”

stereotype noun US /ˈsteriətaɪp/

a conventional or formulaic conception or image

From this reading “STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.”

stereotyped adjective US /ˈsteriətaɪpt/

lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality

From this reading “STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.”

vacation noun US /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading “AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

1839

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

ActverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

approachingnounUS /əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/

the event of one object coming closer to another

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

BOSTONnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

Clerk'snounUS /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

DistrictnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

EnteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

EXPERIMENTSnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənts/

plural of “experiment” — the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading EXPERIMENTS.

FOUNDRYnounUS /ˈfaʊndri/

factory where metal castings are produced

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

LEARNINGnounUS /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/

the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

MassachusettsnounUS /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts/

a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

noisenounUS /nɔɪz/

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

PLAYverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

READverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

ROLLOnounUS /ˈrɑːloʊ/

Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931)

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

SCHOOLnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

STEREOTYPEnounUS /ˈsteriətaɪp/

a conventional or formulaic conception or image

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

STEREOTYPEDadjectiveUS /ˈsteriətaɪpt/

lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

TALKverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

TYPEnounUS /taɪp/

a subdivision of a particular kind of thing

From this reading STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

VACATIONnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

WORKverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading AUTHOR OF ROLLO LEARNING TO TALK, TO READ, AT WORK, AT PLAY, AT SCHOOL, AT VACATION, &c.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading One day, when Rollo was about seven years old, he was sitting upon the steps of the door, and he heard a noise in the street, as of some sort of carriage approaching.

Chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Rollo's Experiments contain?

Chapter 1 holds 403 sentences of Rollo's Experiments, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Rollo's Experiments?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 Rollo's Experiments

Common questions about reading Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rollo's Experiments?

Yes. All 1638 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rollo's Experiments is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Rollo's Experiments take to read?

About 136 minutes of reading across 328 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Rollo's Experiments section by section

How to work through Rollo's Experiments section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 4 chapters of Rollo's Experiments to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Rollo's Experiments

Words and structures a reader meets early in Rollo's Experiments, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Experiments: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rollo's Experiments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rollo's Experiments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rollo: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rollo's Experiments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Learning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rollo's Experiments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

What does chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Rollo's Experiments?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Rollo's Experiments

How to read Rollo's Experiments section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Rollo's Experiments