Chapter 1 of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS. A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome. _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS. MONTREAL: C.W. COATES. HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.
Chapter 1 of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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 “catacomb” — an underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried (as in ancient Rome)
From this reading “THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.”
a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior
From this reading “_Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.”
third-person singular of “coat” — put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface
From this reading “MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.”
provincial capital and largest city of Nova Scotia
From this reading “HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.”
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading “THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.”
a city in southern Quebec province on the Saint Lawrence River; the largest city in Quebec and 2nd largest in Canada; the 2nd largest French-speaking city in the world
From this reading “MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.”
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
From this reading “_Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.”
a solemn statement made under oath
From this reading “_Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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 A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.
plural of “catacomb” — an underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried (as in ancient Rome)
From this reading THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.
relating to or characteristic of Christianity
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
third-person singular of “coat” — put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface
From this reading MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.
provincial capital and largest city of Nova Scotia
From this reading HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.
a city in southern Quebec province on the Saint Lawrence River; the largest city in Quebec and 2nd largest in Canada; the 2nd largest French-speaking city in the world
From this reading MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading HALIFAX: S.F. HUESTIS.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome.
a solemn statement made under oath
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MARTYR OF THE CATACOMBS.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading MONTREAL: C.W. COATES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Catacombs of Rome and their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity," Etc._ WILLIAM BRIGGS.
Chapter 1 of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs by W. H. (William Henry) Withrow holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 135 sentences of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs by W. H. (William Henry) Withrow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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.
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Yes. All 2196 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33484 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33484, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 183 minutes of reading across 440 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
