Chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room is here in full — 775 sentences across 155 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room is here in full — 775 sentences across 155 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A lighted candle shook in his right hand. "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered. She broke down before the picture of his increased fear. He shuffled closer. "What you crying for, Katy?"
Chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room is here in full — 775 sentences across 155 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 18/155 · 5 reading units · Lines 86–90
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.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “A lighted candle shook in his right hand.”
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading “He shuffled closer.”
demanding attention
From this reading “"What you crying for, Katy?"”
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading “She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.”
set afire or burning
From this reading “A lighted candle shook in his right hand.”
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading “She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.”
past form of “quaver” — give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
From this reading “"What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.”
past form of “shuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading “He shuffled closer.”
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 A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
lacking funds
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading He shuffled closer.
demanding attention
From this reading "What you crying for, Katy?"
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "What you crying for, Katy?"
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
set afire or burning
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
past form of “quaver” — give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
precisely, exactly
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading A lighted candle shook in his right hand.
past form of “shuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading He shuffled closer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She broke down before the picture of his increased fear.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What are you doing up here, Katy?" he quavered.
Chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room by Wadsworth Camp holds 775 sentences, grouped into 155 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 775 sentences of The Abandoned Room, unabridged, divided into 155 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room by Wadsworth Camp exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 775 sentences, grouped into 155 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 155 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 155 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 The Abandoned Room by Wadsworth Camp on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
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 The Abandoned Room section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Abandoned Room 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 The Abandoned Room, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
