Chapter 1 of The Great Taboo is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Great Taboo is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN MID PACIFIC. "Man overboard!" It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell. He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened. The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
Chapter 1 of The Great Taboo is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading “He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.”
an indirect suggestion
From this reading “The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.”
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading “The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.”
used in combination to denote the middle
From this reading “IN MID PACIFIC.”
to extremes
From this reading “"Man overboard!"”
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading “IN MID PACIFIC.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.”
showing curiosity
From this reading “He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.”
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 It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN MID PACIFIC.
an indirect suggestion
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Man overboard!"
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
used in combination to denote the middle
From this reading IN MID PACIFIC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
to extremes
From this reading "Man overboard!"
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading IN MID PACIFIC.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It rang in Felix Thurstan's ears like the sound of a bell.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first intimation he received of the accident was that sudden sharp cry from the bo'sun's mate.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
showing curiosity
From this reading He gazed about him in dismay, wondering what had happened.
Chapter 1 of The Great Taboo by Grant Allen holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 109 sentences of The Great Taboo, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Great Taboo by Grant Allen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Great Taboo by Grant Allen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4610 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13876 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13876, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 384 minutes of reading across 922 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Great Taboo section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Great Taboo 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 Great Taboo, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
