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The Key to Yesterday
The Key to Yesterday

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Key to Yesterday is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Key to Yesterday
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.
The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.
The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.
A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.
Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.
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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 Key to Yesterday

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Key to Yesterday is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.
Line 2
The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.
Line 3
The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.
Line 4
A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.
Line 5
Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

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.

brackets noun US /ˈbrækəts/

plural of “bracket” — a category falling within certain defined limits

From this reading “See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.”

captions noun US /ˈkæpʃənz/

plural of “caption” — taking exception; especially a quibble based on a captious argument

From this reading “See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.”

grandstand noun US /ˈɡrændstænd/

the audience at a stadium or racetrack

From this reading “The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.”

http noun US /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading “See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.”

inclosure noun US /ˌɪnˈkloʊʒər/

something (usually a supporting document) that is enclosed in an envelope with a covering letter

From this reading “The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.”

smother verb US /ˈsmʌðər/

envelop completely

From this reading “A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.”

straightaway noun US /ˈstreɪtəweɪ/

a straight segment of a roadway or racecourse

From this reading “A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.”

transcriber noun US /trænˈskraɪbər/

a person who translates written messages from one language to another

From this reading “See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

struggling mass adjective + noun

In this reading “A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.”

under the pressure preposition + article + noun counted as “under … pressure”

In this reading “The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.”

across the track preposition + article + noun counted as “across … track”

In this reading “The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.”

far out adverb + adjective

In this reading “The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

178

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

30418568

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

92

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

bnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

BackadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

bellowingnounUS /ˈbeloʊɪŋ/

a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal)

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

bracketsnounUS /ˈbrækəts/

plural of “bracket” — a category falling within certain defined limits

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

captionsnounUS /ˈkæpʃənz/

plural of “caption” — taking exception; especially a quibble based on a captious argument

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

ccnounUS /ˌsiːˈsiː/

a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

cgi

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

chorusnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/

any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

creakedverbUS /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

curlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɜːrli/

(of hair) having curls or waves

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

forward-surging

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

grandstandnounUS /ˈɡrændstænd/

the audience at a stadium or racetrack

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

horse-flesh

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

httpnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

hurricane-like

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

idno

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

ImagenounUS /ˈɪmədʒ/

an iconic mental representation

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

inclosurenounUS /ˌɪnˈkloʊʒər/

something (usually a supporting document) that is enclosed in an envelope with a covering letter

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

kdl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

kyetexts

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

kyvl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

madman's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

ondriving

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

org

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

palings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

pressurenounUS /ˈpreʃər/

the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

protestnounUS /ˈproʊtest/

a formal and solemn declaration of objection

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

smotherverbUS /ˈsmʌðər/

envelop completely

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

stable-colors

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

straightawaynounUS /ˈstreɪtəweɪ/

a straight segment of a roadway or racecourse

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/

taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

tnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

textnounUS /tekst/

the words of something written

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

text-idx

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Back to the right, the grandstand came to its feet, bellowing in a madman's chorus.

toc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

transcribernounUS /trænˈskraɪbər/

a person who translates written messages from one language to another

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading A smother of ondriving dust broke, hurricane-like, around the last turn, sweeping before it into the straightaway a struggling mass of horse-flesh and a confusion of stable-colors.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The palings of the grandstand inclosure creaked in protest under the pressure.

viewnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading See http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;view=toc;idno=b92-178-30418568 Image captions in {curly brackets} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

waveredverbUS /ˈweɪvərd/

past form of “waver” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

From this reading The shadows of forward-surging men wavered far out across the track.

Chapter 1 of The Key to Yesterday by Charles Neville Buck holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Key to Yesterday contain?

Chapter 1 holds 199 sentences of The Key to Yesterday, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Key to Yesterday by Charles Neville Buck exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Key to Yesterday?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 Key to Yesterday

Common questions about reading The Key to Yesterday by Charles Neville Buck on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Key to Yesterday?

Yes. All 3693 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33759 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Key to Yesterday is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33759, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Key to Yesterday take to read?

About 307 minutes of reading across 739 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Key to Yesterday section by section

How to work through The Key to Yesterday section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Key to Yesterday 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 Key to Yesterday

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Key to Yesterday, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Text-idx
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Key to Yesterday; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kyetexts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Key to Yesterday; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Image
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Key to Yesterday; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Captions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Key to Yesterday; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.