Chapter 1 of Torchy is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Torchy is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Sure, I was carryin' the banner. But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it. When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it. I goes out and rustles for another job. And I takes my pick, too.
Chapter 1 of Torchy is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/52 · 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.
long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising
From this reading “Sure, I was carryin' the banner.”
breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion
From this reading “When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.”
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading “But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.”
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading “When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “I goes out and rustles for another job.”
plural of “kid” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.”
the day on which you receive pay for your work
From this reading “When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.”
select carefully from a group
From this reading “And I takes my pick, too.”
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 But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
plural of “kid” — a young person of either sex
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And I takes my pick, too.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
above and across; more than
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
the day on which you receive pay for your work
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
select carefully from a group
From this reading And I takes my pick, too.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I goes out and rustles for another job.
express in words
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading And I takes my pick, too.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But say, I ain't one of them kids that gets callouses on the hands doin' it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And I takes my pick, too.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sure, I was carryin' the banner.
at the time that
From this reading When I'm handed the fresh air on payday, I don't choke to death over it.
Chapter 1 of Torchy by Sewell Ford holds 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 262 sentences of Torchy, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Torchy by Sewell Ford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 53 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 Torchy by Sewell Ford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4899 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 408 minutes of reading across 980 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Torchy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Torchy 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 Torchy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
