Chapter 1 of Toy Shop is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Toy Shop is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy. Not a real, workable device. Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin.... Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration. The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
Chapter 1 of Toy Shop is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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 “adult” — a fully developed person from maturity onward
From this reading “Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.”
(boxing) a blow with the fist
From this reading “Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.”
a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
From this reading “Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.”
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
From this reading “Not a real, workable device.”
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
From this reading “The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.”
restricted to something
From this reading “The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.”
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading “The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.”
capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are
From this reading “Not a real, workable device.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
plural of “adult” — a fully developed person from maturity onward
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
for the reason that
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
(boxing) a blow with the fist
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
From this reading Not a real, workable device.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
apart from; not including
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
used to form the superlative
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a real, workable device.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
above and across; more than
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading Not a real, workable device.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
restricted to something
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The gadget was strictly, beyond any question, a toy.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration.
exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading The children--and most of the parents--gaped in wide-eyed wonder.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Except for the way it could work under a man's mental skin....
capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are
From this reading Not a real, workable device.
Chapter 1 of Toy Shop by Harry Harrison holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 141 sentences of Toy Shop, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Toy Shop by Harry Harrison exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 Toy Shop by Harry Harrison on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22966 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22966, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 11 minutes of reading across 29 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Toy Shop section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Toy Shop 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 Toy Shop, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
