Chapter 1 of The Blue Germ is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Blue Germ is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN MESOPOTAMIA. (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.) J. E. H. W. I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up. I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
Chapter 1 of The Blue Germ is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
the act of grasping
From this reading “I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.”
at or to or toward the front
From this reading “I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.”
plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
From this reading “(With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)”
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations; part of what is now known as Iraq
From this reading “IN MESOPOTAMIA.”
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
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.
large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal
In this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
In this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
in a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement
In this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
In this reading “I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.”
In this reading “(With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)”
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 I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
the act of grasping
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading J. E. H. W.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading J. E. H. W.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN MESOPOTAMIA.
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading J. E. H. W.
and nothing more
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations; part of what is now known as Iraq
From this reading IN MESOPOTAMIA.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I fell forwards, making a clutch at the table-cloth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading J. E. H. W.
at the time that
From this reading I had just finished breakfast, and deeply perplexed had risen from the table in order to get a box of matches to light a cigarette, when my black cat got between my feet and tripped me up.
in the company of; together with
From this reading (With Illustrations in Colour by the Author.)
Chapter 1 of The Blue Germ by Maurice Nicoll holds 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 52 sentences of The Blue Germ, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Blue Germ by Maurice Nicoll exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 Blue Germ by Maurice Nicoll on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4405 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26852 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26852, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 367 minutes of reading across 881 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Germ section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Blue Germ 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 Blue Germ, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
