Chapter 1 of Summer Snow Storm is here in full — 494 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Summer Snow Storm is here in full — 494 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Snow in summer is of course impossible. Any weather expert will tell you so. Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur. And he would have been right except for one thing. It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
Chapter 1 of Summer Snow Storm is here in full — 494 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/98 · 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.
a message whose content is at variance with reason
From this reading “Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.”
an administrative unit of government
From this reading “Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.”
plural of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading “It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.”
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading “It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.”
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading “Any weather expert will tell you so.”
come to pass
From this reading “Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.”
falling in drops or as if falling like rain
From this reading “It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.”
past form of “snow” — fall as snow
From this reading “It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.”
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.
a message whose content is at variance with reason
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
an administrative unit of government
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
plural of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
a person who is in charge
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
apart from; not including
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
not any; not one
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
come to pass
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
falling in drops or as if falling like rain
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
precisely, exactly
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
past form of “snow” — fall as snow
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading _Snow in summer is of course impossible.
express in words
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It snowed that summer._ It was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs.
a special situation
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such absurdity could occur.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And he would have been right except for one thing.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Any weather expert will tell you so.
Chapter 1 of Summer Snow Storm by Stephen Marlowe holds 494 sentences, grouped into 99 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 494 sentences of Summer Snow Storm, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Summer Snow Storm by Stephen Marlowe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 494 sentences, grouped into 99 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 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 99 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.
Common questions about reading Summer Snow Storm by Stephen Marlowe on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 494 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26968 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26968, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 41 minutes of reading across 99 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Summer Snow Storm section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Summer Snow Storm 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 Summer Snow Storm, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
