Chapter 1 of Under Two Flags is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Under Two Flags is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world. I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had. How shall I get the money, Bertie? I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning. What do you think if I sold the mare?
Chapter 1 of Under Two Flags is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 18/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 86–90
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.
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading ““I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.”
in addition to; as well as
From this reading “I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.”
a game played with playing cards
From this reading “I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.”
the head of a state government
From this reading “I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.”
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading ““I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.”
female equine animal
From this reading “What do you think if I sold the mare?”
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading “What do you think if I sold the mare?”
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading ““I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.”
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 I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How shall I get the money, Bertie?
in addition to; as well as
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
a game played with playing cards
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading How shall I get the money, Bertie?
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
the head of a state government
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How shall I get the money, Bertie?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
female equine animal
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading How shall I get the money, Bertie?
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
used to form the superlative
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
participate in games or sport
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading How shall I get the money, Bertie?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
express in words
From this reading I couldn't tell he'd go a crowner and have such cards as he had.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I daren't ask the governor; and besides I told Poulteney he should have it this morning.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What do you think if I sold the mare?
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I backed Grosvenor's play, and you know he's always the most wonderful luck in the world.
Chapter 1 of Under Two Flags by Ouida holds 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 158 sentences of Under Two Flags, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Under Two Flags by Ouida exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 Under Two Flags by Ouida on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3465 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3465, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1962 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Two Flags section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Under Two Flags 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 Under Two Flags, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
