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The Book of Missionary Heroes
The Book of Missionary Heroes

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
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(Dates, b.
A.D.
6, d.
A.D.
67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Book of Missionary Heroes

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
(Dates, b.
/deɪts biː/
Line 2
A.D.
Line 3
6, d.
Line 4
A.D.
Line 5
67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

Learner Dictionary

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.

arched adjective US /ɑːrtʃt/

constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

Asia noun US /ˈeɪʒə/

the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

Comrades noun US /ˈkɑːmrædz/

plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

Dates noun US /deɪts/

plural of “date” — the specified day of the month

From this reading “(Dates, b.”

gateway noun US /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/

an entrance that can be closed by a gate

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

Minor adjective US /ˈmaɪnər/

of lesser importance or stature or rank

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

plateau noun US /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

tawny adjective US /ˈtɑːni/

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading “67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

2

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

3

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

6

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 6, d.

67

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A.D.

aheadadverbUS /əˈhed/

at or in the front

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

Antioch-in-Pisidia

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

archedadjectiveUS /ɑːrtʃt/

constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

AsianounUS /ˈeɪʒə/

the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

bnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading (Dates, b.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

ComradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading A.D.

DatesnounUS /deɪts/

plural of “date” — the specified day of the month

From this reading (Dates, b.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

gatewaynounUS /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/

an entrance that can be closed by a gate

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

MinoradjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/

of lesser importance or stature or rank

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

plateaunounUS /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

purplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

tawnyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːni/

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading 67[2]) _The Three Comrades._ The purple shadows of three men moved ahead of them on the tawny stones of the Roman road on the high plateau of Asia Minor one bright, fresh morning.[3] They had just come out under the arched gateway through the thick walls of the Roman city of Antioch-in-Pisidia.

Chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes contain?

Chapter 1 holds 153 sentences of The Book of Missionary Heroes, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Book of Missionary Heroes?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Book of Missionary Heroes

Common questions about reading The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Book of Missionary Heroes?

Yes. All 3474 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16657 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Book of Missionary Heroes is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16657, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Book of Missionary Heroes take to read?

About 289 minutes of reading across 695 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Book of Missionary Heroes

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Book of Missionary Heroes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dates
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Book of Missionary Heroes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Book of Missionary Heroes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comrades
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Book of Missionary Heroes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Purple
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Book of Missionary Heroes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.