Chapter 1 of The Samovar Girl is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Samovar Girl is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC. TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank! Clank! Clank!_ It was the music of chains. A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
Chapter 1 of The Samovar Girl is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading “Clank!_ It was the music of chains.”
make a clank
From this reading “Clank!”
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading “TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!”
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
a small island
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.”
an introduction to a play
From this reading “TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!”
a vast Asian region of Russia; famous for long cold winters
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.”
plural of “unfortunate” — a person who suffers misfortune
From this reading “A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.”
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 “A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.”
In this reading “A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.”
In this reading “A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.”
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 A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading Clank!_ It was the music of chains.
make a clank
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
a line of units following one after another
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
a young female
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
a small island
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Clank!_ It was the music of chains.
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading Clank!_ It was the music of chains.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
an introduction to a play
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
any member of a ship's crew
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
a metal urn with a spigot at the base; used in Russia to boil water for tea
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
a vast Asian region of Russia; famous for long cold winters
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “SAILOR GIRL,” “SIBERIA TO-DAY,” “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL,” “ISLE O’ DREAMS,” ETC.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
plural of “unfortunate” — a person who suffers misfortune
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading TO ROBERT H. DAVIS THE SAMOVAR GIRL PROLOGUE THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR _Clank!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Clank!_ It was the music of chains.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading A column of unfortunates from the big prison on the hill swung down the road and turned into the wide street between the log houses.
Chapter 1 of The Samovar Girl by Frederick Ferdinand Moore holds 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 409 sentences of The Samovar Girl, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Samovar Girl by Frederick Ferdinand Moore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Samovar Girl by Frederick Ferdinand Moore on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6040 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67865 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67865, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 503 minutes of reading across 1208 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Samovar Girl section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Samovar Girl 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 Samovar Girl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
