Chapter 1 of The Spy in Black is here in full — 491 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Spy in Black is here in full — 491 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. TWO'S TWO. THE LUNATIC AT LARGE. THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.
Chapter 1 of The Spy in Black is here in full — 491 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/98 · 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 “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading “THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.”
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “BY THE SAME AUTHOR.”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.”
insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon
From this reading “'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.”
Identical; not different.
From this reading “BY THE SAME AUTHOR.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “TWO'S TWO.”
possessive form of “two” — the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “TWO'S TWO.”
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 “BY THE SAME AUTHOR.”
In this reading “THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.”
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.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading 'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading 'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.
insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon
From this reading 'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ADVENTURES OF M. D'HARICOT.
Identical; not different.
From this reading BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'THE LUNATIC AT LARGE,' ETC.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading TWO'S TWO.
possessive form of “two” — the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading TWO'S TWO.
Chapter 1 of The Spy in Black by J. Storer (Joseph Storer) Clouston holds 491 sentences, grouped into 99 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 491 sentences of The Spy in Black, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Spy in Black by J. Storer (Joseph Storer) Clouston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 491 sentences, grouped into 99 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 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 99 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 Spy in Black by J. Storer (Joseph Storer) Clouston on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3308 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33996 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33996, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 275 minutes of reading across 662 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spy in Black section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Spy in Black 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 Spy in Black, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
