Chapter 1 of The Riverman is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Riverman is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water. “Good-morning, gentlemen,” replied the apparition. “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde. Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman. “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
Chapter 1 of The Riverman is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 25/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 121–125
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 ghostly appearing figure
From this reading ““Good-morning, gentlemen,” replied the apparition.”
a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea
From this reading ““Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.”
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading “Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.”
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading ““Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.”
tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
From this reading ““Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading ““Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.”
make square
From this reading ““But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.”
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.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading “Good-morning, gentlemen,” replied the apparition.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading “Good-morning, gentlemen,” replied the apparition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Good-morning, gentlemen,” replied the apparition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
make square
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
showing no visible emotion
From this reading Reed nodded, his fiery eyes fixed unblinking on the riverman.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “But you haven't been quite square to us,” said Orde.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading “Good-morning, Mr. Reed,” shouted Orde above the noise of the water.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Nice dam you got here,” went on Orde.
Chapter 1 of The Riverman by Stewart Edward White holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 204 sentences of The Riverman, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Riverman by Stewart Edward White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 Riverman by Stewart Edward White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7499 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1099 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1099, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1500 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Riverman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Riverman 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 Riverman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
