Chapter 1 of The Shining Cow is here in full — 300 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Shining Cow is here in full — 300 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It might be some kind of new disease." "It ain't no disease, maw. It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before. I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here." "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
Chapter 1 of The Shining Cow is here in full — 300 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 23/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 111–115
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.
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading “I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."”
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading “"It might be some kind of new disease."”
plural of “fella” — a boy or man
From this reading “I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."”
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."”
informal terms for the mouth
From this reading “"It ain't no disease, maw.”
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “"Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"”
neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading “"Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"”
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading “I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."”
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 “It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
In this reading “I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It ain't no disease, maw.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
at any time
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
plural of “fella” — a boy or man
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
informal terms for the mouth
From this reading "It ain't no disease, maw.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
not any; not one
From this reading "It ain't no disease, maw.
no person; not anyone
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "It might be some kind of new disease."
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading I jest hope I can convince them University fellas to come down here."
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading It's something nobody in the whole world ever seen or heard of before.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"
Chapter 1 of The Shining Cow by Alex James holds 300 sentences, grouped into 60 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 300 sentences of The Shining Cow, unabridged, divided into 60 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Shining Cow by Alex James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 300 sentences, grouped into 60 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 60 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 60 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 Shining Cow by Alex James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 300 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29328 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29328, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 25 minutes of reading across 60 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Shining Cow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Shining Cow 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 Shining Cow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
