Chapter 1 of Stories by English Authors — Africa is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Stories by English Authors — Africa is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”? Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say. I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it. For I was with him at the time. Tell it?
Chapter 1 of Stories by English Authors — Africa is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
past form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
occurring by chance
From this reading “Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?”
an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.”
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 have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For I was with him at the time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For I was with him at the time.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
past form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
occurring by chance
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
not one, and not any
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
express in words
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
express in words
From this reading Tell it?
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
male cat
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For I was with him at the time.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
which person or people
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Do I know why Tom Donahue is called “Lucky Tom”?
in the company of; together with
From this reading I have knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune with it.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, I do; and that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say.
Chapter 1 of Stories by English Authors — Africa by Arthur Conan [Contributor] Doyle holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 161 sentences of Stories by English Authors — Africa, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Stories by English Authors — Africa by Arthur Conan [Contributor] Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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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Yes. All 2649 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1980 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1980, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 220 minutes of reading across 530 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stories by English Authors — Africa section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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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 Stories by English Authors — Africa, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
