Chapter 1 of The Foolish Virgin is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Foolish Virgin is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Mary Adams, you're a fool!” The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer. “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?” “Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!” Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
Chapter 1 of The Foolish Virgin is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
From this reading ““Mary Adams, you're a fool!””
a chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached
From this reading “The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.”
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading “Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.”
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading ““Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!””
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading ““You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?””
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading “Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.”
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading “Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.”
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading “The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.”
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 “Mary Adams, you're a fool!”
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
From this reading “Mary Adams, you're a fool!”
react verbally
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
a chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Mary Adams, you're a fool!”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading “Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!”
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
and nothing more
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “Mary Adams, you're a fool!”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!”
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
in a provocative manner
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!”
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading “Not a second for one sitting----” “Hopeless!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The single dimple in a smooth red cheek smiled in answer.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
a Caucasian
From this reading Mary smiled provokingly, her white teeth gleaming in obstinate good humor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You won't give him one hour's time for just three sittings?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mary Adams, you're a fool!”
Chapter 1 of The Foolish Virgin by Thomas, Jr. Dixon holds 258 sentences, grouped into 52 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 258 sentences of The Foolish Virgin, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Foolish Virgin by Thomas, Jr. Dixon exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 52 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 Foolish Virgin by Thomas, Jr. Dixon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5614 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1634 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1634, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 467 minutes of reading across 1123 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Foolish Virgin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Foolish Virgin 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 Foolish Virgin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
