Chapter 3 of Snow on the Headlight is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Snow on the Headlight is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Brush the snow off the headlight!" "What?" "Brush the snow off the headlight!" It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago. When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
Chapter 3 of Snow on the Headlight is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading “"Brush the snow off the headlight!"”
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading “It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.”
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading “When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.”
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading “It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.”
play in which children pretend to put out a fire
From this reading “It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.”
a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive
From this reading “"Brush the snow off the headlight!"”
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading “When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.”
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.”
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.
In this reading “It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.”
In this reading “When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.”
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 When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading "Brush the snow off the headlight!"
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
placed crosswise
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
opinion or judgment
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
play in which children pretend to put out a fire
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive
From this reading "Brush the snow off the headlight!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
immediately past
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Brush the snow off the headlight!"
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading "Brush the snow off the headlight!"
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Brush the snow off the headlight!"
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the first time the engineer had spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What?"
at the time that
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When they crossed the last switch and left the lights of the city behind them he had settled down in his place, his eyes, with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed upon the front window.
Chapter 3 of Snow on the Headlight by Cy Warman holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 3 holds 406 sentences of Snow on the Headlight, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Snow on the Headlight by Cy Warman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 3 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 Snow on the Headlight by Cy Warman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2016 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30447 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30447, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 168 minutes of reading across 404 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Snow on the Headlight section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Snow on the Headlight 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 Snow on the Headlight, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
