Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent. Dominic has a star on his forehead. They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud. They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised. Their number is infinite.
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 21/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 101–105
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.
plural of “countenance” — the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading “Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.”
(Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221)
From this reading “Dominic has a star on his forehead.”
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading “Their number is infinite.”
plural of “prediction” — the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future)
From this reading “They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.”
A prediction of what will happen in the future, often divinely or magically inspired.
From this reading “They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.”
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading “They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.”
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading “Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.”
extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
From this reading “Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.”
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 Dominic has a star on his forehead.
using the voice; not silently
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
plural of “countenance” — the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
(Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221)
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading Their number is infinite.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Their number is infinite.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
the force of workers available
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Their number is infinite.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
plural of “prediction” — the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future)
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
A prediction of what will happen in the future, often divinely or magically inspired.
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading They have the gift of prophecy, and their predictions are always realised.
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Dominic has a star on his forehead.
extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Great lights surround them, and their countenances are resplendent.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They read the minds of men and repeat their thoughts aloud.
Chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 231 sentences of The Dream, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 Dream by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4020 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9499 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9499, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 335 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dream section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Dream 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 Dream, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
