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The moral pirates
The moral pirates

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The moral pirates is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The moral pirates
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, I am troubled about my boy.
Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.
He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.
Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The moral pirates

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The moral pirates is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Line 2
The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.
/ðə truːθ ɪz dʒɑːn sed ˈmɪstər ˈwɪlsən tuː hɪz ˈbrʌðər aɪ æm ˈtrʌbəld əˈbaʊt maɪ bɔɪ/
Line 3
Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.
Line 4
He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.
Line 5
Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.
/naʊ ðə ˈʌðər deɪ aɪ faʊnd hɪm ˈriːdɪŋ ə ˈretʃɪd ˈstɔːri əˈbaʊt ˈpaɪrəts/

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.

Congress noun US /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

harper noun US /ˈhɑːrpər/

someone who plays the harp

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

July noun US /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading “Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.”

Librarian noun US /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

mischief noun US /ˈmɪstʃəf/

reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

From this reading “He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.”

pirates noun US /ˈpaɪrəts/

plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading “Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.”

September noun US /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading “Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.”

Wilson noun US /ˈwɪlsən/

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading ““The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.”

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.

go back verb + particle

belong to an earlier time

In this reading “Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.”

get into verb + particle

get involved in or with

In this reading “He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.”

other day adjective + noun

In this reading “Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.”

Act of verb + particle

In this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

1880

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

ActverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

BROTHERSnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

can't

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

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

EnteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

HARPERnounUS /ˈhɑːrpər/

someone who plays the harp

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

he'll

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

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

I'm

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

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

idleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

LibrariannounUS /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

mischiefnounUS /ˈmɪstʃəf/

reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

piratesnounUS /ˈpaɪrəts/

plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to school until the middle of September.

WashingtonnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading He will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief.

WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading “The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled about my boy.

wretchedadjectiveUS /ˈretʃɪd/

of very poor quality or condition

From this reading Now, the other day I found him reading a wretched story about pirates.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

Chapter 1 of The moral pirates by W. L. (William Livingston) Alden holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 moral pirates contain?

Chapter 1 holds 89 sentences of The moral pirates, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The moral pirates by W. L. (William Livingston) Alden exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 moral pirates?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 moral pirates

Common questions about reading The moral pirates by W. L. (William Livingston) Alden on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The moral pirates?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The moral pirates is used?

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

How long does The moral pirates take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The moral pirates section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 moral pirates

Words and structures a reader meets early in The moral pirates, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The moral pirates, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The moral pirates, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The moral pirates, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.