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.
"He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular." He brushed aside her customary defence. As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically. "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night. Not a word from him.
Chapter 1 of The Abandoned Room is here in full — 775 sentences across 155 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 8/155 · 5 reading units · Lines 36–40
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.
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading “He brushed aside her customary defence.”
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading “He brushed aside her customary defence.”
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
From this reading “He brushed aside her customary defence.”
past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading “As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.”
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading “"He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."”
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading “"I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.”
with spasms
From this reading “As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.”
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading “As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.”
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 Not a word from him.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
on or to one side
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
without stop or interruption
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Not a word from him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He brushed aside her customary defence.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Not a word from him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a word from him.
being perceived or observed
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
with spasms
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I ordered Mr. Robert here to-night.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading As he continued speaking she noticed that always his voice shook as his fingers shook, as his stooped shoulders jerked spasmodically.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Not a word from him.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "He's young, Uncle Silas, and too popular."
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.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
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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.
