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The Christian: A Story
The Christian: A Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Christian: A Story is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Hall, Sir Caine • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Christian: A Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
No particular years are intended.
The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.
An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.
FIRST BOOK.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Christian: A Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Christian: A Story is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
/ðə ˈpɪriəd ʌv ðə ˈstɔːri ɪz ðə læst ˈkwɔːrtər ʌv ðə ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri/
Line 2
No particular years are intended.
/noʊ pərˈtɪkjələr jɪrz ɑːr ˌɪnˈtendɪd/
Line 3
The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.
/ðə taɪm ˈɑːkjəpaɪd baɪ ðə ˈɪnsədənts ʌv ðə fɜːrst bʊk ɪz əˈbaʊt sɪks mʌnθs ʌv ðə ˈsekənd bʊk əˈbaʊt sɪks mʌnθs ʌv ðə θɜːrd bʊk əˈbaʊt sɪks mʌnθs ðen ðer ɪz æn ˈɪntərvəl ʌv hæf ə jɪr ənd ðə taɪm ˈɑːkjəpaɪd baɪ ðə ˈɪnsədənts ʌv ðə fɔːrθ bʊk ɪz əˈbaʊt sɪks wiːks/
Line 4
An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.
/æn ˈɔːθərz noʊt wɪl biː faʊnd æt ðə end ðə ˈkrɪstʃən/
Line 5
FIRST BOOK.
/fɜːrst bʊk/

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.

Author's noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
century noun US /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading “_The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fourth noun US /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading “The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
incidents noun US /ˈɪnsədənts/

plural of “incident” — a single distinct event

From this reading “The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interval noun US /ˈɪntərvəl/

a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading “The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nineteenth adjective US /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading “_The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
occupied adjective US /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading “The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
period noun US /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading “_The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 43

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading No particular years are intended.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BooknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHRISTIANadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
incidentsnounUS /ˈɪnsədənts/

plural of “incident” — a single distinct event

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading No particular years are intended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/

a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No particular years are intended.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NotenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading No particular years are intended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/

one of four equal parts

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SecondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _The period of the story is the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading An Author's Note will be found at the end._ THE CHRISTIAN.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The time occupied by the incidents of the first Book is about six months, of the Second Book about six months, of the Third Book about six months; then there is an interval of half a year, and the time occupied by the incidents of the Fourth Book is about six weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading No particular years are intended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Christian: A Story by Hall, Sir Caine holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Christian: A Story contain?

Chapter 1 holds 416 sentences of The Christian: A Story, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Christian: A Story by Hall, Sir Caine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Christian: A Story?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 Christian: A Story

Common questions about reading The Christian: A Story by Hall, Sir Caine on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Christian: A Story?

Yes. All 12065 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8407 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Christian: A Story is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8407, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Christian: A Story take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Christian: A Story section by section

How to work through The Christian: A Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Christian: A Story to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Christian: A Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Christian: A Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Period
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christian: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christian: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quarter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christian: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nineteenth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christian: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.