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The Premiere
The Premiere

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Premiere is here in full — 489 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Premiere
Context Illustration Reading 1/97 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_The young actor was great....
They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.
Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.
She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.
The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.
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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 Premiere

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Premiere is here in full — 489 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_The young actor was great....
/ðə jʌŋ ˈæktər wɑːz ɡreɪt/
Line 2
They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.
Line 3
Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.
/əˈɡen ʃiː rɪθd ənd skriːmd æz ʃiː felt ðə ˈhɪdiəs tʌtʃ ʌv ðə ˈmɑːnstər ˈsnætʃɪŋ æt hɜːr/
Line 4
She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.
Line 5
The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.
/ðə θɪŋ siːzd hɜːr ɪn ɪts ɑːbˈsiːn emˈbreɪs/

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.

Clamped verb US /klæmpt/

past form of “clamp” — fasten or fix with a clamp

From this reading “They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.”

contour noun US /ˈkɑːntʊr/

a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height

From this reading “They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.”

grips noun US /ɡrɪps/

plural of “grip” — the act of grasping

From this reading “They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.”

muck verb US /mʌk/

remove muck, clear away muck, as in a mine

From this reading “She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.”

obscene adjective US /ɑːbˈsiːn/

designed to incite to indecency or lust

From this reading “The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.”

padded adjective US /ˈpædɪd/

softened by the addition of cushions or padding

From this reading “They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.”

snatching verb US /ˈsnætʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly

From this reading “Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.”

writhed adjective US /rɪθd/

twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)

From this reading “Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

actornounUS /ˈæktər/

a theatrical performer

From this reading _The young actor was great....

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

ClampedverbUS /klæmpt/

past form of “clamp” — fasten or fix with a clamp

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

contournounUS /ˈkɑːntʊr/

a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

didn't

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

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

embraceverbUS /emˈbreɪs/

include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory

From this reading The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

fasteradverbUS /ˈfæstər/

more quickly

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

frenziedlyadverb

in a frenzied manner

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading _The young actor was great....

gripsnounUS /ɡrɪps/

plural of “grip” — the act of grasping

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

hideousadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdiəs/

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

how

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

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

limbsnounUS /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/

an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

muckverbUS /mʌk/

remove muck, clear away muck, as in a mine

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

obsceneadjectiveUS /ɑːbˈsiːn/

designed to incite to indecency or lust

From this reading The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

paddedadjectiveUS /ˈpædɪd/

softened by the addition of cushions or padding

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

realizeverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/

be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

rottenadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːtən/

very bad

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

scrabbled

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

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

screamedverbUS /skriːmd/

past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading The thing seized her in its obscene embrace.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

snatchingverbUS /ˈsnætʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

steelnounUS /stiːl/

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/

lacking natural ease

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/

past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

swampverbUS /swɑːmp/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _The young actor was great....

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading They didn't realize just how great until the night of_ Clamped to the contour couch, the young girl strained against the padded steel grips and screamed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _The young actor was great....

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She struggled frenziedly through the muck of the swamp but the thing with the blood eyes scrabbled faster on its rotten limbs.

writhedadjectiveUS /rɪθd/

twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)

From this reading Again she writhed and screamed as she felt the hideous touch of the monster snatching at her.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading _The young actor was great....

Chapter 1 of The Premiere by Richard Sabia holds 489 sentences, grouped into 98 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 Premiere contain?

Chapter 1 holds 489 sentences of The Premiere, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Premiere by Richard Sabia exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 489 sentences, grouped into 98 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 Premiere?

Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 98 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 Premiere

Common questions about reading The Premiere by Richard Sabia on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Premiere?

Yes. All 489 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24865 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Premiere is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24865, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Premiere take to read?

About 40 minutes of reading across 98 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Premiere section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Premiere 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 Premiere

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

Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Premiere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Actor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Premiere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Premiere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Didn't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Premiere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.