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The Gay Adventure: A Romance
The Gay Adventure: A Romance

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Gay Adventure: A Romance is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Gay Adventure: A Romance
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.
_My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.
But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.
Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.
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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 Gay Adventure: A Romance

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Gay Adventure: A Romance is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.
Line 2
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.
/ˈbʊkbaɪndərz ənd ˈprɪntərz ˈbrʊklən en waɪ/
Line 3
_My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.
/maɪ bʊk ðə ˈkrɪtɪks meɪ æbˈhɔːr ðə ˈpʌblɪk tuː/
Line 4
But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.
Line 5
Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

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.

abhor verb US /æbˈhɔːr/

find repugnant

From this reading “_My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.”

bookbinders noun US /ˈbʊkbaɪndərz/

plural of “bookbinder” — a worker whose trade is binding books

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

brooklyn noun US /ˈbrʊklən/

a borough of New York City

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

engaging adjective US /enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/

attracting or delighting

From this reading “Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.”

imprint noun US /ˌɪmˈprɪnt/

a distinctive influence

From this reading “But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.”

Mortimer noun US /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading “But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.”

printers noun US /ˈprɪntərz/

plural of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

prophesied verb US /ˈprɑːfəsaɪd/

inflected form of “prophesy” — predict or reveal through, or as if through, divine inspiration

From this reading “Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.”

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.

young gentleman adjective + noun

In this reading “But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.”

private means adjective + noun

In this reading “But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.”

great things adjective + noun

In this reading “Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

abhorverbUS /æbˈhɔːr/

find repugnant

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

bearsnounUS /berz/

plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

booknounUS /bʊk/

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

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

BOOKBINDERSnounUS /ˈbʊkbaɪndərz/

plural of “bookbinder” — a worker whose trade is binding books

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

BRAUNWORTH

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

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

BROOKLYNnounUS /ˈbrʊklən/

a borough of New York City

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

CriticsnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪks/

plural of “critic” — a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

engagingadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/

attracting or delighting

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

GoldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

Good-humoredadjective

disposed to please

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

ill-looking

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

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

imprintnounUS /ˌɪmˈprɪnt/

a distinctive influence

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

intentionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃənz/

plural of “intention” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

Lionel

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

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

MortimernounUS /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

PagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

PRINTERSnounUS /ˈprɪntərz/

plural of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

prophesiedverbUS /ˈprɑːfəsaɪd/

inflected form of “prophesy” — predict or reveal through, or as if through, divine inspiration

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

PublicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading _My book the Critics may abhor--_ _The Public, too.

typenounUS /taɪp/

a subdivision of a particular kind of thing

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Good-humored, by no means ill-looking, and with engaging manners, he was the type of man of whom one would have prophesied great things.

YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But, all the same,_ _This Page at least is Golden, for_ _It bears the imprint of your name._ Mr. Lionel Mortimer was a young gentleman of few intentions and no private means.

Chapter 1 of The Gay Adventure: A Romance by Richard Bird holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Gay Adventure: A Romance contain?

Chapter 1 holds 209 sentences of The Gay Adventure: A Romance, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Gay Adventure: A Romance by Richard Bird exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Gay Adventure: A Romance?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 Gay Adventure: A Romance

Common questions about reading The Gay Adventure: A Romance by Richard Bird on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gay Adventure: A Romance?

Yes. All 6050 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gay Adventure: A Romance is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gay Adventure: A Romance take to read?

About 504 minutes of reading across 1210 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gay Adventure: A Romance section by section

How to work through The Gay Adventure: A Romance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Gay Adventure: A Romance 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 Gay Adventure: A Romance

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gay Adventure: A Romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gay Adventure: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Braunworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gay Adventure: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bookbinders
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gay Adventure: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gay Adventure: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.