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The great amulet
The great amulet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The great amulet is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The great amulet
Context Illustration Reading 39/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.
Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!
See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."
And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.
The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.
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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 great amulet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The great amulet is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 39/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 191–195

Line 1
We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.
Line 2
Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!
Line 3
See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."
Line 4
And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.
Line 5
The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.
/ðə pæst faɪv jɪrz hæd nɑːt delt ˈtendərli wɪð ðɪs mæn ʌv ˈsɜːrfəs ˈhɑːrdnəs ənd riˈprest ˌsensɪˈbɪlɪtiz/

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.

Border noun US /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading “Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!”

digestion noun US /daɪˈdʒestʃən/

the process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat

From this reading “Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!”

hardness noun US /ˈhɑːrdnəs/

the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale

From this reading “The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.”

notions noun US /ˈnoʊʃənz/

plural of “notion” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading “Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!”

parade noun US /pərˈeɪd/

a ceremonial procession including people marching

From this reading “See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."”

repressed adjective US /riˈprest/

characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions

From this reading “The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.”

Richardson's noun US /ˈrɪtʃərdsənz/

possessive form of “richardson” — United States architect (1838-1886)

From this reading “And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.”

sensibilities noun US /ˌsensɪˈbɪlɪtiz/

plural of “sensibility” — mental responsiveness and awareness

From this reading “The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

agreeverbUS /əˈɡriː/

be in accord; be in agreement

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

BordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

dealtverbUS /delt/

inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

digestionnounUS /daɪˈdʒestʃən/

the process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

don't

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

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

Eldred

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

hardnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrdnəs/

the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

Lenox

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

notionsnounUS /ˈnoʊʃənz/

plural of “notion” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

paradenounUS /pərˈeɪd/

a ceremonial procession including people marching

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

repressedadjectiveUS /riˈprest/

characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

Richardson'snounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdsənz/

possessive form of “richardson” — United States architect (1838-1886)

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

sensibilitiesnounUS /ˌsensɪˈbɪlɪtiz/

plural of “sensibility” — mental responsiveness and awareness

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

shan't

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

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

tenderlyadverbUS /ˈtendərli/

with tenderness; in a tender manner

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We shan't keep _him_ up here much longer, I fancy.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Border notions of work don't agree with his delicate digestion!

writing-table

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

From this reading And as Richardson's footsteps died into silence, Eldred Lenox went slowly back to the writing-table.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading The past five years had not dealt tenderly with this man of surface hardness and repressed sensibilities.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading See you again at early parade:--sharp up to time."

Chapter 1 of The great amulet by Maud Diver holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 great amulet contain?

Chapter 1 holds 212 sentences of The great amulet, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The great amulet by Maud Diver exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 great amulet?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 great amulet

Common questions about reading The great amulet by Maud Diver on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The great amulet?

Yes. All 8677 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20238 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The great amulet is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20238, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The great amulet take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1736 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The great amulet section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The great amulet 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 great amulet

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

Fierce
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The great amulet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Touch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The great amulet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enough
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The great amulet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wound
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The great amulet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.