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The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01
The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01
Context Illustration Reading 2/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.
It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.
Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?
I will insert it here.
It is almost as good as a map.
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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 Innocents Abroad — Volume 01

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 2/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 6–10

Line 1
It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.
/ɪt wɑːz ə breɪv kənˈsepʃən ɪt wɑːz ðə ˈɔːfsprɪŋ ʌv ə moʊst ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs breɪn/
Line 2
It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.
/ɪt wɑːz wel ˈædvərtaɪzd bʌt ɪt ˈhɑːrdli ˈniːdəd ɪt ðə boʊld ərˌɪdʒəˈnælɪti ðə ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri ˈkerɪktər ðə sɪˈdʌktɪv ˈneɪtʃər ənd ðə ˈvæstnəs ʌv ðə ˈentərpraɪz prəˈvoʊkt ˈkɑːment ˈevriwer ənd ˈædvərtaɪzd ɪt ɪn ˈevəri ˈhaʊshoʊld ɪn ðə lænd/
Line 3
Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?
/huː kʊd red ðə ˈproʊɡræm ʌv ðə ɪkˈskɜːrʒən wɪˈθaʊt ˈlɔːŋɪŋ tuː meɪk wʌn ʌv ðə ˈpɑːrti/
Line 4
I will insert it here.
/aɪ wɪl ˌɪnˈsɜːrt ɪt hiːr/
Line 5
It is almost as good as a map.
/ɪt ɪz ˈɔːlmoʊst æz ɡʊd æz ə mæp/

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.

advertised adjective US /ˈædvərtaɪzd/

called to public attention

From this reading “It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.”

insert verb US /ˌɪnˈsɜːrt/

put or introduce into something

From this reading “I will insert it here.”

offspring noun US /ˈɔːfsprɪŋ/

the immediate descendants of a person

From this reading “It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.”

originality noun US /ərˌɪdʒəˈnælɪti/

the ability to think and act independently

From this reading “It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.”

program noun US /ˈproʊɡræm/

a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading “Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?”

provoked adjective US /prəˈvoʊkt/

incited, especially deliberately, to anger

From this reading “It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.”

seductive adjective US /sɪˈdʌktɪv/

tending to entice into a desired action or state

From this reading “It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.”

vastness noun US /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading “It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

advertisedadjectiveUS /ˈædvərtaɪzd/

called to public attention

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It is almost as good as a map.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It is almost as good as a map.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

conceptionnounUS /kənˈsepʃən/

an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

excursionnounUS /ɪkˈskɜːrʒən/

a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It is almost as good as a map.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading I will insert it here.

householdnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊld/

a social unit living together

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I will insert it here.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

ingeniousadjectiveUS /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

insertverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɜːrt/

put or introduce into something

From this reading I will insert it here.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is almost as good as a map.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

longingnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

mapverbUS /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading It is almost as good as a map.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

offspringnounUS /ˈɔːfsprɪŋ/

the immediate descendants of a person

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

originalitynounUS /ərˌɪdʒəˈnælɪti/

the ability to think and act independently

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

programnounUS /ˈproʊɡræm/

a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

provokedadjectiveUS /prəˈvoʊkt/

incited, especially deliberately, to anger

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

seductiveadjectiveUS /sɪˈdʌktɪv/

tending to entice into a desired action or state

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

vastnessnounUS /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was a brave conception; it was the offspring of a most ingenious brain.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading It was well advertised, but it hardly needed it: the bold originality, the extraordinary character, the seductive nature, and the vastness of the enterprise provoked comment everywhere and advertised it in every household in the land.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I will insert it here.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Who could read the program of the excursion without longing to make one of the party?

Chapter 1 of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 by Mark Twain holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 98 sentences of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Innocents Abroad — Volume 01?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Innocents Abroad — Volume 01

Common questions about reading The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01?

Yes. All 1058 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5688 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5688, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 take to read?

About 88 minutes of reading across 212 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 section by section

How to work through The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 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 Innocents Abroad — Volume 01

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Months
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pleasure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Excursion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.