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Ruth of the U. S. A.
Ruth of the U. S. A.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Ruth of the U. S. A. is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ruth of the U. S. A.
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Ruth of the U. S. A.
Ruth of the U. S. A.
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish
Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend
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.

Ruth of the U. S. A.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Ruth of the U. S. A. is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Ruth of the U. S. A.
/ruːθ ʌv ðə juː es ə/
Line 2
Ruth of the U. S. A.
/ruːθ ʌv ðə juː es ə/
Line 3
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
Line 4
Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish
Line 5
Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

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.

cell noun US /sel/

A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.

From this reading “Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend”

circling verb US /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “circle” — travel around something

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

crouched verb US /kraʊtʃt/

past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

Hull noun US /hʌl/

dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

palms noun US /pɑːmz/

plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

plane noun US /pleɪn/

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

vanish verb US /ˈvænɪʃ/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

wreckage noun US /ˈrekədʒ/

the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked

From this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

crouched beside verb + particle counted as “crouch beside”

In this reading “Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

1919

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

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

AMERICANnounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading A. C. McCLURG & CO.

cellnounUS /sel/

A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

circlingverbUS /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “circle” — travel around something

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading A. C. McCLURG & CO.

crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/

past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

ENGLISHMANnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/

a man who is a native or inhabitant of England

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

expectingverbUS /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

FATHERnounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

Gerry

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

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

HullnounUS /hʌl/

dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

McCLURG

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

From this reading A. C. McCLURG & CO.

MEMORYnounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

palmsnounUS /pɑːmz/

plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

planenounUS /pleɪn/

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

PublishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

rosesnounUS /ˈroʊzɪz/

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

RuthnounUS /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

UnounUS /juː/

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading Ruth of the U. S. A.

vanishverbUS /ˈvænɪʃ/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Gerry was there at the door of her cell; another man was with him; a friend

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

wreckagenounUS /ˈrekədʒ/

the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked

From this reading Published March, 1919 TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AN ENGLISHMAN AND AN AMERICAN Ruth crouched beside Gerry, and shot through the wreckage at the circling German plane She looked away, half expecting the sound of the music, and the roses, and palms, and Gerry Hull would vanish

Chapter 1 of Ruth of the U. S. A. by Edwin Balmer holds 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 Ruth of the U. S. A. contain?

Chapter 1 holds 14 sentences of Ruth of the U. S. A., unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Ruth of the U. S. A. by Edwin Balmer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 Ruth of the U. S. A.?

Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 3 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 Ruth of the U. S. A.

Common questions about reading Ruth of the U. S. A. by Edwin Balmer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ruth of the U. S. A.?

Yes. All 4999 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68296 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ruth of the U. S. A. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68296, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ruth of the U. S. A. take to read?

About 416 minutes of reading across 1000 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ruth of the U. S. A. section by section

How to work through Ruth of the U. S. A. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Ruth of the U. S. A. 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 Ruth of the U. S. A.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ruth of the U. S. A., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mcclurg
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ruth of the U. S. A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ruth of the U. S. A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
March
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ruth of the U. S. A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Memory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ruth of the U. S. A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.