Chapter 1 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello! Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn. Who are you?" "Harding. I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
Chapter 1 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading “THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!”
29th President of the United States; two of his appointees were involved in the Teapot Dome scandal (1865-1823)
From this reading “"Harding.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading “THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!”
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading “I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.”
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading “I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.”
of an obscure nature
From this reading “THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!”
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading “I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn.”
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.
In this reading “I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.”
In this reading “I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Who are you?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!
29th President of the United States; two of his appointees were involved in the Teapot Dome scandal (1865-1823)
From this reading "Harding.
an expression of greeting
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn.
of an obscure nature
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS FOREIGNER "Hello!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I've been ringing you up at intervals for hours.
which person or people
From this reading Who are you?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes--I'm Maurice Wynn.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Who are you?"
Chapter 1 of The Red Symbol by John Ironside holds 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 245 sentences of The Red Symbol, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Red Symbol by John Ironside exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 Red Symbol by John Ironside on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5338 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31860 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31860, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 444 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Red Symbol section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Red Symbol 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 Red Symbol, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
