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The Cloud
The Cloud

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Cloud is here in full — 328 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Cloud
Context Illustration Reading 1/65 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".
In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".
Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.
One oe ligature has been expanded.
"_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.
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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 Cloud

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Cloud is here in full — 328 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".
Line 2
In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".
Line 3
Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.
/aɪˈtælɪk tekst hæz bɪn mɑːrkt wɪð ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/
Line 4
One oe ligature has been expanded.
Line 5
"_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

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.

Advertisements noun US /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading “In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".”

correction noun US /kərˈekʃən/

the act of offering an improvement to replace a mistake; setting right

From this reading “In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".”

expanded adjective US /ɪkˈspændəd/

increased in extent or size or bulk or scope

From this reading “One oe ligature has been expanded.”

Flanders noun US /ˈflændərz/

a medieval country in northern Europe that included regions now parts of northern France and Belgium and southwestern Netherlands

From this reading “Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".”

Italic noun US /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading “Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.”

replicate verb US /ˈrepləkeɪt/

bend or turn backward

From this reading “Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".”

spelling noun US /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading “Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".”

underscores noun US /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

stood watching verb + noun

In this reading “"_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.”

on the crest preposition + article + noun counted as “on … crest”

In this reading “"_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.”

appear in verb + particle

In this reading “In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".”

like a man's verb + article + noun counted as “like … man”

In this reading “"_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

AdvertisementsnounUS /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

Advertisments

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

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

ariseth

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

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

BeholdverbUS /bɪˈhoʊld/

see with attention

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

BerlinnounUS /bərˈlɪn/

capital of Germany located in eastern Germany

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

Carmel

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

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

correctionnounUS /kərˈekʃən/

the act of offering an improvement to replace a mistake; setting right

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

crestnounUS /krest/

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

effortnounUS /ˈefərt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

expandedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspændəd/

increased in extent or size or bulk or scope

From this reading One oe ligature has been expanded.

faithfullyadverbUS /ˈfeɪθfəli/

in a faithful manner

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

FieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

FlandersnounUS /ˈflændərz/

a medieval country in northern Europe that included regions now parts of northern France and Belgium and southwestern Netherlands

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

ItalicnounUS /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

ligaturenoun

(music) a group of notes connected by a slur

From this reading One oe ligature has been expanded.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.

McCrae's

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

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

misquotationnoun

an incorrect quotation

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

non-standard

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

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

oe

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

From this reading One oe ligature has been expanded.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One oe ligature has been expanded.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

paragraphnounUS /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

PrintedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

replicateverbUS /ˈrepləkeɪt/

bend or turn backward

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

spellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

startingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

textnounUS /tekst/

the words of something written

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the paragraph starting "Advertisements appear in the Berlin papers," "Advertisements" is a correction for "Advertisments".

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and a misquotation of John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields".

underscoresnounUS /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

From this reading Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading "_Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand_" _Printed in the United States of America_ A Cloud Like a Man's Hand Up on the crest of Carmel a man stood watching.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.

Chapter 1 of The Cloud by Sartell Prentice holds 328 sentences, grouped into 66 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 Cloud contain?

Chapter 1 holds 328 sentences of The Cloud, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Cloud by Sartell Prentice exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 328 sentences, grouped into 66 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 Cloud?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 Cloud

Common questions about reading The Cloud by Sartell Prentice on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Cloud?

Yes. All 328 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41867 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Cloud is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41867, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Cloud take to read?

About 27 minutes of reading across 66 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Cloud section by section

How to work through The Cloud section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Cloud 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 Cloud

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Cloud, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cloud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Effort
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cloud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Replicate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cloud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Faithfully
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cloud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.