Chapter 1 of The Recipe for Diamonds is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Recipe for Diamonds is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BIG GAME. The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it. Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block. And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
Chapter 1 of The Recipe for Diamonds is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
strike violently
From this reading “And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.”
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading “And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.”
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical casing containing an explosive charge and a bullet; fired from a rifle or handgun
From this reading “Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.”
the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks)
support resembling the rib of an animal
From this reading “The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.”
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading “And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.”
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading “The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.”
past form of “tinkle” — make or emit a high sound
From this reading “Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.”
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.
large animals that are hunted for sport
In this reading “BIG GAME.”
In this reading “The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.”
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 The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
strike violently
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading BIG GAME.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical casing containing an explosive charge and a bullet; fired from a rifle or handgun
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks)
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading BIG GAME.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
and nothing more
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
support resembling the rib of an animal
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then as he slewed round, I got the next bullet home, bang behind the shoulder.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
past form of “tinkle” — make or emit a high sound
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first shot was just a rib too far back, and though it staggered him, he didn't stop to it.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Out tinkled cartridge number one and in went a second, and "_cluck_" said the breech-block.
Chapter 1 of The Recipe for Diamonds by C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 133 sentences of The Recipe for Diamonds, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Recipe for Diamonds by C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 Recipe for Diamonds by C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3047 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31083 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31083, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 253 minutes of reading across 610 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Recipe for Diamonds section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Recipe for Diamonds 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 Recipe for Diamonds, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
