Chapter 1 of The Mysterious Island is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Mysterious Island is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Are we rising again?” “No. On the contrary.” “Are we descending?” “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!” “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
Chapter 1 of The Mysterious Island is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/57 · 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.
any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship
From this reading ““For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!””
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading ““No. On the contrary.””
coming down or downward
From this reading ““Are we descending?””
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading ““Worse than that, captain! we are falling!””
utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading ““For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!””
possessive form of “heaven” — any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading ““Are we rising again?””
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading ““For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!””
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.
anew
From this reading “Are we rising again?”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are we rising again?”
any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!”
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading “No. On the contrary.”
coming down or downward
From this reading “Are we descending?”
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
possessive form of “heaven” — any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
not any; not one
From this reading “No. On the contrary.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “No. On the contrary.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading “Are we rising again?”
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading “For Heaven’s sake heave out the ballast!”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “No. On the contrary.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Are we rising again?”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “Worse than that, captain! we are falling!”
Chapter 1 of The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne holds 286 sentences, grouped into 58 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 286 sentences of The Mysterious Island, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 286 sentences, grouped into 58 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 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 58 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 Mysterious Island by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10051 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1268 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1268, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2011 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mysterious Island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Mysterious Island 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 Mysterious Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
