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The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1
The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1

Chapter LVI · Chapter 56

Chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.
Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.
The people worship Mahommet.
There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.
The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1

Chapter LVI · Chapter 56

Chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.
Line 2
Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.
Line 3
The people worship Mahommet.
Line 4
There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.
Line 5
The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.
/ðə ˈprɑːvəns kənˈteɪnz ˈrɪvərz wɪtʃ brɪŋ daʊn ˈdʒæspər ənd ˈtʃælsədoʊni ənd ðiːz ɑːr ˈkærid fɔːr seɪl ˈɪntuː kæˈθeɪ wer ðeɪ fetʃ ɡreɪt ˈpraɪsəz/

Learner Dictionary

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.

Cathay noun US /kæˈθeɪ/

a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world

From this reading “The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.”

Chalcedony noun US /ˈtʃælsədoʊni/

a milky or greyish translucent to transparent quartz

From this reading “The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.”

contains verb US /kənˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading “The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.”

north-east adverb US /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/

to, toward, or in the northeast

From this reading “Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.”

prices noun US /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading “The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.”

province noun US /ˈprɑːvəns/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading “OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.”

Turkey noun US /ˈtɜːrki/

large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading “Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.”

villages noun US /ˈvɪlədʒəz/

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading “There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

bearsnounUS /berz/

plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

CathaynounUS /kæˈθeɪ/

a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

ChalcedonynounUS /ˈtʃælsədoʊni/

a milky or greyish translucent to transparent quartz

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

CHARCHAN

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

containsverbUS /kənˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

fetchverbUS /fetʃ/

go or come after and bring or take back

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

JaspernounUS /ˈdʒæspər/

an opaque form of quartz; red or yellow or brown or dark green in color; used for ornamentation or as a gemstone

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

Mahommet

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The people worship Mahommet.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

north-eastadverbUS /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/

to, toward, or in the northeast

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

numerousadjectiveUS /ˈnuːmərəs/

amounting to a large indefinite number

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The people worship Mahommet.

pricesnounUS /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

PROVINCEnounUS /ˈprɑːvəns/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.

riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

salenounUS /seɪl/

a particular instance of selling

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

TurkeynounUS /ˈtɜːrki/

large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading Charchan is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east.

villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The Province contains rivers which bring down Jasper and Chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay, where they fetch great prices.

worshipverbUS /ˈwɜːrʃəp/

love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol

From this reading The people worship Mahommet.

Chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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.

What does chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 56 holds 60 sentences of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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.

How do I study chapter 56 of The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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.

Can chapter 56 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 56 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.

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Common questions about reading The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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