Chapter 1 of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was. He was doing a splendid business. What could have induced him?" "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business. I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
Chapter 1 of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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.
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
From this reading “"I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.”
with bitterness; in a resentful manner
From this reading “"They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.”
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading “"I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.”
brought about or caused; not spontaneous
From this reading “What could have induced him?"”
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading “I don't know, but I think it quite likely.”
being in opposition or having an opponent
From this reading “"They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.”
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “"I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.”
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading “He was doing a splendid business.”
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 "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
with bitterness; in a resentful manner
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He was doing a splendid business.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading What could have induced him?"
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading He was doing a splendid business.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What could have induced him?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was doing a splendid business.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What could have induced him?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
brought about or caused; not spontaneous
From this reading What could have induced him?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
being in opposition or having an opponent
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
express in words
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading He was doing a splendid business.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
a special situation
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I don't know, but I think it quite likely.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I hear that John Andrews has given up his saloon; and a foolish thing it was.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What could have induced him?"
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "They say that his wife was bitterly opposed to the business.
Chapter 1 of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper holds 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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 1 holds 63 sentences of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
