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The Wrong Twin
The Wrong Twin

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Wrong Twin is here in full — 733 sentences across 147 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wrong Twin
Context Illustration Reading 1/146 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.
Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.
There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.
It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.
Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Wrong Twin

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Wrong Twin is here in full — 733 sentences across 147 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/146 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.
/ðeɪ keɪm ɔːl tuː suːn tuː ə ɡeɪt ˈɡɪvɪŋ əˈpɑːn ðə ˈpʌblɪk roʊd ənd ðə wɜːrld ʌv ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ huː meɪk rɪˈmɑːrks əˈbaʊt streɪndʒ saɪts ðeɪ ˈwɪtnəs/
Line 2
Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.
/stɪl ɪt wɑːz ə ˈkwaɪət striːt ənd ðeɪ wɜːr əˈkɔːrdɪd noʊ ˌɪˈmiːdiːət rɪˈsepʃən/
Line 3
There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.
Line 4
It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.
Line 5
Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.
/ˈnevər hæd hiː driːmd soʊ rɪtʃ ə triːt kʊd biː hɪz/

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.

accorded verb US /əˈkɔːrdɪd/

past form of “accord” — go together

From this reading “Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.”

envied verb US /ˈenvid/

inflected form of “envy” — feel envious towards; admire enviously

From this reading “It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.”

pony noun US /ˈpoʊniː/

a range horse of the western United States

From this reading “There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.”

privileged adjective US /ˈprɪvlədʒd/

blessed with privileges

From this reading “It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.”

reception noun US /rɪˈsepʃən/

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading “Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.”

sights noun US /saɪts/

an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument

From this reading “They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.”

twin noun US /twɪn/

either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy

From this reading “It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.”

vehicle noun US /ˈviːhɪkəl/

a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading “It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

accordedverbUS /əˈkɔːrdɪd/

past form of “accord” — go together

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

cartnounUS /kɑːrt/

a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

drawnadjectiveUS /drɔːn/

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

dreamedadjectiveUS /driːmd/

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

enviedverbUS /ˈenvid/

inflected form of “envy” — feel envious towards; admire enviously

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

immediateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːət/

of the present time and place

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

Juliana

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

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

NeveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

ponynounUS /ˈpoʊniː/

a range horse of the western United States

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

privilegedadjectiveUS /ˈprɪvlədʒd/

blessed with privileges

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

remarksnounUS /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

sightsnounUS /saɪts/

an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading There stood the pony cart of Miss Juliana, and this, she made known, they were to enter.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

treatverbUS /triːt/

interact in a certain way

From this reading Never had he dreamed so rich a treat could be his.

twinnounUS /twɪn/

either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

vehiclenounUS /ˈviːhɪkəl/

a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Still it was a quiet street, and they were accorded no immediate reception.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

Wilbur

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

From this reading It was a lovely vehicle, drawn by a lovely fat pony, and the Wilbur twin had often envied those privileged to ride in it.

witnessnounUS /ˈwɪtnəs/

someone who sees an event and reports what happened

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading They came all too soon to a gate giving upon the public road and the world of the living who make remarks about strange sights they witness.

Chapter 1 of The Wrong Twin by Harry Leon Wilson holds 733 sentences, grouped into 147 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 1 of The Wrong Twin contain?

Chapter 1 holds 733 sentences of The Wrong Twin, unabridged, divided into 147 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Wrong Twin by Harry Leon Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 733 sentences, grouped into 147 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 1 of The Wrong Twin?

Work through the 147 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 147 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Wrong Twin

Common questions about reading The Wrong Twin by Harry Leon Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wrong Twin?

Yes. All 7332 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11625 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wrong Twin is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11625, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wrong Twin take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wrong Twin section by section

How to work through The Wrong Twin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Wrong Twin to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Wrong Twin

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wrong Twin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Giving
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wrong Twin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Public
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wrong Twin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wrong Twin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Living
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wrong Twin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.