Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Nov._ 3. I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table. _Nov._ 4. I began to live regularly. In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 73/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 361–365
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 “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
From this reading “I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.”
being one more than ten
From this reading “In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.”
a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl
From this reading “I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.”
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.”
the month following October and preceding December
with restored energy
From this reading “In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.”
in a regular manner
From this reading “I began to live regularly.”
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading “I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Nov._ 3.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Nov._ 4.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I began to live regularly.
plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
take in solid food
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
being one more than ten
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading I began to live regularly.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading _Nov._ 3.
according to the clock
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
with restored energy
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
in a regular manner
From this reading I began to live regularly.
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
up to a particular time
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat.
Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures by Daniel Defoe holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 411 sentences of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures by Daniel Defoe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
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Yes. All 2877 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11866 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
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About 239 minutes of reading across 576 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The Life and Most Surprising Adventures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
