Chapter 1 of The Mystery of the Green Ray is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Mystery of the Green Ray is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed. "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested. "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy. I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return. Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
Chapter 1 of The Mystery of the Green Ray is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
lightweight single-breasted jacket; often striped in the colors of a club or school
From this reading “The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.”
United States architect who designed the first important skyscraper with a skeleton (1846-1912)
From this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
strong highly flavored sweet liquor usually drunk after a meal
From this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading “I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.”
a woman waiter
From this reading “I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.”
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.
the act of forcing the enemy to withdraw
In this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.”
In this reading “Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the 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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
lightweight single-breasted jacket; often striped in the colors of a club or school
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
United States architect who designed the first important skyscraper with a skeleton (1846-1912)
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy.
to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
strong highly flavored sweet liquor usually drunk after a meal
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I'd go as a drummer-boy.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Dennis Burnham swallowed his liqueur in one savage gulp, pushed back his chair, and rose from the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
a woman waiter
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'd look fine in uniform, wouldn't I?" the waitress simpered in return.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You'd have to come and be a nurse," he suggested.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading The youth in the multi-coloured blazer laughed.
Chapter 1 of The Mystery of the Green Ray by William Le Queux holds 239 sentences, grouped into 48 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 239 sentences of The Mystery of the Green Ray, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Mystery of the Green Ray by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 239 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 Mystery of the Green Ray by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3700 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26637 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26637, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 308 minutes of reading across 740 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery of the Green Ray section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Mystery of the Green Ray 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 Mystery of the Green Ray, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
