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The Firing Line
The Firing Line

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Firing Line is here in full — 342 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Firing Line
Context Illustration Reading 1/68 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.
Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.
The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.
"Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.
She answered rather faintly.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Firing Line

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Firing Line is here in full — 342 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/68 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.
Line 2
Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.
Line 3
The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.
/ðə ˈkɪtən wɑːz soʊ jʌŋ ðæt ɪt wɑːz ˈʃeɪki ɑːn ɪts leɡz ənd ɪt wɔːr ˈveri waɪd aɪz ənd ə bluː baʊ/
Line 4
"Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.
/həˈloʊ ˈdɑːli hiː sed ˈplezəntli/
Line 5
She answered rather faintly.
/ʃiː ˈænsərd ˈræðər ˈfeɪntli/

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.

compartment noun US /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/

a space into which an area is subdivided

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
echoes noun US /ˈekoʊz/

plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kitten noun US /ˈkɪtən/

young domestic cat

From this reading “Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northward adverb US /ˈnɔːrθwərd/

in a northern direction

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shaky adjective US /ˈʃeɪki/

inclined to shake as from weakness or defect

From this reading “The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
solitaire noun US /ˌsɑːləˈter/

a gem (usually a diamond) in a setting by itself

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speeding noun US /ˈspiːdɪŋ/

changing location rapidly

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swaying verb US /ˈsweɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 65

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 Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

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 Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading She answered rather faintly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bonbons

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

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Pending verification
bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/

a space into which an area is subdivided

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/

an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crossingnounUS /ˈkrɔːsɪŋ/

traveling across

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DollynounUS /ˈdɑːli/

conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted

From this reading "Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ECHOESnounUS /ˈekoʊz/

plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enormousadjectiveUS /ɪˈnɔːrməs/

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading She answered rather faintly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading "Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
kittennounUS /ˈkɪtən/

young domestic cat

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northwardadverbUS /ˈnɔːrθwərd/

in a northern direction

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/

an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading "Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Portlaw

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

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Pending verification
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading She answered rather faintly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rosesnounUS /ˈroʊzɪz/

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Hello, Dolly," he said pleasantly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shakyadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪki/

inclined to shake as from weakness or defect

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She answered rather faintly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
solitairenounUS /ˌsɑːləˈter/

a gem (usually a diamond) in a setting by itself

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speedingnounUS /ˈspiːdɪŋ/

changing location rapidly

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
state-room

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

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Pending verification
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading ECHOES Some minutes later, on the northward speeding train, he left Portlaw playing solitaire in their own compartment, and, crossing the swaying corridor, entered the state-room opposite.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wilming

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

From this reading Miss Wilming was there, reading a novel, an enormous bunch of roses, a box of bonbons, and a tiny kitten on the table before her.

Pending verification
woreverbUS /wɔːr/

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The kitten was so young that it was shaky on its legs, and it wore very wide eyes and a blue bow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 17 of The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 342 sentences, grouped into 69 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 17 of The Firing Line contain?

Chapter 17 holds 342 sentences of The Firing Line, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 342 sentences, grouped into 69 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 17 of The Firing Line?

Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 69 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Firing Line

Common questions about reading The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Firing Line?

Yes. All 8336 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15654 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Firing Line is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15654, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Firing Line take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1668 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Firing Line section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Firing Line 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 Firing Line

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

Veered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Firing Line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cooler
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Firing Line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ribbon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Firing Line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Appeared
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Firing Line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.