Chapter 1 of The Highflyers is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Highflyers is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Fred la Mothe was speaking. After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency. After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent. "''Tain't safe,' I says to him. And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
Chapter 1 of The Highflyers is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
plural of “beverage” — any liquid suitable for drinking
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
relating to or based on or involving comparison
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
a hexahedron with six equal squares as faces
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
powerful and effective language
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
smooth and unconstrained in movement
From this reading “After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.”
used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
a sodium salt of carbonic acid; used in making soap powders and glass and paper
From this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
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.
In this reading “After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.”
In this reading “After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.”
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 After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
later than; following
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
plural of “beverage” — any liquid suitable for drinking
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
relating to or based on or involving comparison
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
a hexahedron with six equal squares as faces
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
move gently or carefully
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
show an attribute, property, knowledge, or skill
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
powerful and effective language
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
smooth and unconstrained in movement
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fred la Mothe was speaking.
usually; as a rule
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "''Tain't safe,' I says to him.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading Fred la Mothe was speaking.
raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fred la Mothe was speaking.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
according to the clock
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading "''Tain't safe,' I says to him.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading "''Tain't safe,' I says to him.
a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
a sodium salt of carbonic acid; used in making soap powders and glass and paper
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading Fred la Mothe was speaking.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "''Tain't safe,' I says to him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading After two o'clock in the afternoon Fred was generally fluent.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Fred la Mothe was speaking.
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading After a certain number of beverages composed of Scotch whisky, imported soda, and a cube of ice, it was a matter of comparative ease for him to exhibit a notable fluency.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And the wind was blowin' enough to lift the hair out of your head.
Chapter 1 of The Highflyers by Clarence Budington Kelland holds 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 229 sentences of The Highflyers, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Highflyers by Clarence Budington Kelland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 46 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 Highflyers by Clarence Budington Kelland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7525 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46252 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46252, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1505 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Highflyers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Highflyers 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 Highflyers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
