Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Riddle and the Ring is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK. II. AN AMAZING OFFER. III. PANIC.
The Riddle and the Ring
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Riddle and the Ring is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
I.
THE
LITTLE
MAN
IN
BLACK.
II.
AN
AMAZING
OFFER.
III.
PANIC.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Riddle and the Ring
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Riddle and the Ring is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
I.
THE
LITTLE
MAN
IN
BLACK.
/aɪ ðə ˈlɪtəl mæn ɪn blæk/
Line 2
II.
Line 3
AN
AMAZING
OFFER.
/æn əˈmeɪzɪŋ ˈɔːfər/
Line 4
III.
Line 5
PANIC.
/ˈpænɪk/
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.
amazing
adjective
US /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading “AN AMAZING OFFER.”
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.”
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading “AN AMAZING OFFER.”
panic
noun
US /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading “PANIC.”
Word partnerships in these lines
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.
All words in this reading · 12
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.
AMAZINGadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading AN AMAZING OFFER.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN AMAZING OFFER.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
IInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading II.
IIInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading III.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading AN AMAZING OFFER.
PANICnounUS /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading PANIC.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.
Chapter 1 of The Riddle and the Ring by Gordon MacLaren holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Riddle and the Ring contain?
Chapter 1 holds 448 sentences of The Riddle and the Ring, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Riddle and the Ring by Gordon MacLaren exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Riddle and the Ring?
Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Riddle and the Ring
Common questions about reading The Riddle and the Ring by Gordon MacLaren on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Riddle and the Ring?
Yes. All 3559 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43298 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Riddle and the Ring is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #43298, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Riddle and the Ring take to read?
About 296 minutes of reading across 712 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Riddle and the Ring section by section
How to work through The Riddle and the Ring section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Riddle and the Ring to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Riddle and the Ring
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Riddle and the Ring, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Little
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle and the Ring; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Black
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle and the Ring; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Amazing
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle and the Ring; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Offer
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle and the Ring; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.