Chapter 1 of The Sealed Valley is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Sealed Valley is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC. To M. R. W. "She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps" .
Chapter 1 of The Sealed Valley is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading “"She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps" .”
a small worthless amount
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
not able to be found
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
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 “[Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.”
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 [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
an ornamental facade
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a small worthless amount
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading To M. R. W.
not able to be found
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air
From this reading To M. R. W.
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To M. R. W.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading [Frontispiece: "_She turned a quick face at the sound of their footsteps_" (missing from source book) "NEW RIVERS OF THE NORTH," "TWO ON THE TRAIL," "JACK CHANTY," ETC.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading To M. R. W.
Chapter 1 of The Sealed Valley by Hulbert Footner holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 398 sentences of The Sealed Valley, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Sealed Valley by Hulbert Footner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Sealed Valley by Hulbert Footner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7294 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57139 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57139, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1459 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sealed Valley section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Sealed Valley 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 Sealed Valley, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
