Chapter 1 of Tape Jockey is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tape Jockey is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world. It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill. Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in. This is indeed a pleasure." His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
Chapter 1 of Tape Jockey is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
having or showing great excitement and interest
From this reading “His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.”
extravagant exaggeration
From this reading “It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.”
set afire or burning
From this reading “His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.”
a brief written record
From this reading “Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.”
sounding as if the nose were pinched
From this reading “His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.”
go sour or spoil
From this reading “Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.”
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading “[Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.”
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 “His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.”
In this reading “Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.”
to come or go into
In this reading “Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.”
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 Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
having or showing great excitement and interest
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
divisible by two
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
extravagant exaggeration
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading This is indeed a pleasure."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is indeed a pleasure."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
set afire or burning
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
a brief written record
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
sounding as if the nose were pinched
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading This is indeed a pleasure."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
express in words
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading His pinched face was lighted with an enthusiastic smile.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
go sour or spoil
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is indeed a pleasure."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Then somebody struck a sour note...._] The little man said, "Why, Mr. Bartle, come in.
in the company of; together with
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It wouldn't even have been an exaggeration to say the world was in tune with Pettigill.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading [Sidenote: _Pettigill was, you might say, in tune with the world.
Chapter 1 of Tape Jockey by Tom Leahy holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 205 sentences of Tape Jockey, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tape Jockey by Tom Leahy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tape Jockey section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Tape Jockey 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 Tape Jockey, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
