Chapter 1 of Vera is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Vera is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PRES. I cannot tell, Michael. I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces. MICH. (_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).
Chapter 1 of Vera is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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 “inside” — the region that is inside of something
From this reading “I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.”
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading “I cannot tell, Michael.”
plural of “palace” — a large and stately mansion
From this reading “I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.”
plural of “prison” — a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading “I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.”
the utterance of intelligible speech
happening unexpectedly
From this reading “(_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).”
express in words
From this reading “I cannot tell, Michael.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot tell, Michael.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I cannot tell, Michael.
plural of “inside” — the region that is inside of something
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MICH.
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading I cannot tell, Michael.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
plural of “palace” — a large and stately mansion
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PRES.
plural of “prison” — a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading (_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).
happening unexpectedly
From this reading (_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).
express in words
From this reading I cannot tell, Michael.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I know more about the insides of prisons than of palaces.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading (_speaking suddenly to ALEXIS_).
Chapter 1 of Vera by Oscar Wilde holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 438 sentences of Vera, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Vera by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Vera by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1739 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26494 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26494, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 144 minutes of reading across 348 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vera section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Vera 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 Vera, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
