Chapter 1 of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK. A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free. THE BLUE BIRD. B is a Blue Bird. In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
Chapter 1 of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 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.
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading “The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.”
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading “THE BLUE BIRD.”
a state in southeastern United States between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
From this reading “The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.”
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading “A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.”
a room where books are kept
From this reading “The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.”
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading “In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.”
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading “The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.”
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading “A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.”
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 A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
black-and-white short-necked web-footed diving bird of northern seas
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading B is a Blue Bird.
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading THE BLUE BIRD.
exhale hard
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading THE BLUE BIRD.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
a state in southeastern United States between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
a room where books are kept
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
the season of growth
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading In early spring, How sweet his songs Through the forest ring.
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading The Baldwin Library University of Florida THE AUK.
in or at the place that
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A is an Auk, Of the Artic sea, He lives on the ice, Where the winds blow free.
Chapter 1 of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds by Unknown holds 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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 56 sentences of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds by Unknown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 12 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 Illustrated Alphabet of Birds by Unknown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 56 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11073 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11073, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 12 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Illustrated Alphabet of Birds 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 Illustrated Alphabet of Birds, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
