Chapter 1 of Where the Blue Begins is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Where the Blue Begins is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure. He had a great deal of fun. But having fun is not quite the same as being happy. Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions. That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
Chapter 1 of Where the Blue Begins is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 4/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 16–20
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.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading “He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.”
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading “Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.”
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.”
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading “He had a great deal of fun.”
United States general who served as military director of the atomic bomb project (1896-1970)
From this reading “That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.”
the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time
From this reading “Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.”
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading “That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.”
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading “That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.”
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 Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
react verbally
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
pleasing or delighting
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading He had a great deal of fun.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
divisible by two
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading He had a great deal of fun.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He had a great deal of fun.
United States general who served as military director of the atomic bomb project (1896-1970)
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a great deal of fun.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had a great deal of fun.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
Identical; not different.
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
confined on all sides
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But having fun is not quite the same as being happy.
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He chose a different hotel each time, so that it was always an Adventure.
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading That charming little house among the groves and thickets seemed to him surrounded by strange whispers and quiet voices.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Even an income of 1000 bones a year does not answer all questions.
Chapter 1 of Where the Blue Begins by Christopher Morley holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 199 sentences of Where the Blue Begins, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Where the Blue Begins by Christopher Morley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 Where the Blue Begins by Christopher Morley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2507 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1402 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1402, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 208 minutes of reading across 502 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Where the Blue Begins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Where the Blue Begins 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 Where the Blue Begins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
