Chapter 1 of The Big Headache is here in full — 665 sentences across 133 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Big Headache is here in full — 665 sentences across 133 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
What's the principal cause of headaches? Why, having a head, of course! "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?" Ferris asked eagerly. "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
Chapter 1 of The Big Headache is here in full — 665 sentences across 133 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/133 · 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.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading “What's the principal cause of headaches?”
work together on a common enterprise of project
From this reading “"Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"”
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading “Ferris asked eagerly.”
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading “"Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"”
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading “"Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"”
-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
From this reading “"How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"”
plural of “headache” — something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading “What's the principal cause of headaches?”
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading “What's the principal cause of headaches?”
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 “What's the principal cause of headaches?”
In this reading “Ferris asked eagerly.”
as might be expected
In this reading “Why, having a head, of course!”
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 Why, having a head, of course!
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Ferris asked eagerly.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
work together on a common enterprise of project
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Why, having a head, of course!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading Ferris asked eagerly.
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ferris asked eagerly.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
the act of departing
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Why, having a head, of course!
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Why, having a head, of course!
plural of “headache” — something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
the act of using
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What's the principal cause of headaches?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, having a head, of course!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
Chapter 1 of The Big Headache by Jim Harmon holds 665 sentences, grouped into 133 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 665 sentences of The Big Headache, unabridged, divided into 133 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Big Headache by Jim Harmon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 665 sentences, grouped into 133 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 133 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 133 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 Big Headache by Jim Harmon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 665 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 55 minutes of reading across 133 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Big Headache section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Big Headache 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 Big Headache, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
