Chapter 8 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE. When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased. "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion. "No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring. "I thought you looked as if you did."
Chapter 8 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 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.
a street in Manhattan that passes through Times Square; famous for its theaters
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
a closed carriage with four wheels and seats for four passengers
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
a digestible substance used to give color to food
From this reading “"No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring.”
not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
past form of “escort” — accompany as an escort
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.”
a member of a police force
From this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
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.
opera in which all the text is sung
In this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.”
In this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.”
In this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
In this reading “When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.”
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 When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
a street in Manhattan that passes through Times Square; famous for its theaters
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring.
a closed carriage with four wheels and seats for four passengers
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
a digestible substance used to give color to food
From this reading "No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
past form of “escort” — accompany as an escort
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, certainly not," answered Clarence, coloring.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
the family name of a line of English kings that reigned from 1154 to 1485
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
a member of a police force
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
cut with a saw
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I thought you looked as if you did."
not expected or anticipated
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
precisely as stated
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
at the time that
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading When Clarence Plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up Broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
Chapter 8 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 8 holds 58 sentences of A Boy's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 12 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 8 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 4381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52017 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52017, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 365 minutes of reading across 877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Boy's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
