Chapter 39 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 XXXIX
Chapter 39 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN AND HIS UNCLE. "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news." "What is it, sir?" "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle." "Is it possible, sir?" said Ben in excitement.
Chapter 39 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 mountain or tall hill
From this reading “BEN AND HIS UNCLE.”
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading “"I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."”
of or relating to or characteristic of Cuba or the people of Cuba
From this reading “"Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."”
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading “"Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."”
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading “"Is it possible, sir?" said Ben in excitement.”
plural of “security” — the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading “"I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."”
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading “"I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."”
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading “"I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."”
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.
In this reading “"Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."”
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 "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BEN AND HIS UNCLE.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN AND HIS UNCLE.
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
of or relating to or characteristic of Cuba or the people of Cuba
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading "Is it possible, sir?" said Ben in excitement.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
set up or found
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BEN AND HIS UNCLE.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Is it possible, sir?" said Ben in excitement.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is it, sir?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What is it, sir?"
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
information about recent and important events
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "Is it possible, sir?" said Ben in excitement.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
plural of “security” — the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
term of address for a man
From this reading "What is it, sir?"
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Ben," said the Cuban, a few days later, "I have excellent news."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading BEN AND HIS UNCLE.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is it, sir?"
which person or people
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I have found the broker who sold the stolen securities for your uncle."
Chapter 39 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 39 holds 58 sentences of A Boy's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 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 39 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 A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
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.
How to work through A Boy's Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Boy's Fortune 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 A Boy's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
