Chapter 1 of The Half-Back is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Half-Back is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT. "How's craps, Country?" "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you." "What if he does, ninny? I want him to.
Chapter 1 of The Half-Back is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight
From this reading “"Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."”
a youthful male person
From this reading “THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.”
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading “"How's craps, Country?"”
expressions used when when two dice are thrown and both come up showing one spot
From this reading “"How's craps, Country?"”
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading “THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.”
a stupid foolish person
From this reading “"What if he does, ninny?”
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading “"Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."”
plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading “THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.”
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.
a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
a youthful male person
From this reading THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading "How's craps, Country?"
expressions used when when two dice are thrown and both come up showing one spot
From this reading "How's craps, Country?"
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What if he does, ninny?
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I want him to.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How's craps, Country?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I want him to.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "What if he does, ninny?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
a stupid foolish person
From this reading "What if he does, ninny?
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I want him to.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want him to.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What if he does, ninny?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Shut up, Bart! he may hear you."
Chapter 1 of The Half-Back by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 161 sentences of The Half-Back, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Half-Back by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 Half-Back by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3827 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11041 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11041, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 318 minutes of reading across 766 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Half-Back section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Half-Back 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 Half-Back, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
