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Adrift in New York
Adrift in New York

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Adrift in New York is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Adrift in New York
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
An Unholy Compact.
"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.
"That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.
"Yes."
"He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Adrift in New York

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Adrift in New York is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
An Unholy Compact.
/æn ənˈhoʊli ˈkɑːmpækt/
Line 2
"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.
Line 3
"That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.
Line 4
"Yes."
/jes/
Line 5
"He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.
/hiː ɪz ə puːr mæn aʊt ʌv lʌk huː hæz əˈplaɪd tuː miː fɔːr əˈsɪstəns ˈænsərd ˈkɜːrtəs rəˈkʌvərɪŋ hɪz wɪts/

Learner Dictionary

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.

Compact noun US /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading “An Unholy Compact.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Curtis noun US /ˈkɜːrtəs/

English botanical writer and publisher (1746-1799)

From this reading “"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Linden noun US /ˈlɪndən/

soft light-colored wood of any of various linden trees; used in making crates and boxes and in carving and millwork

From this reading “"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
luxurious adjective US /ləɡˈʒɜːriəs/

displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses

From this reading “"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recovering adjective US /rəˈkʌvərɪŋ/

returning to health after illness or debility

From this reading “"He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sumptuous adjective US /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/

ostentatiously rich and superior in quality

From this reading “"Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Unholy adjective US /ənˈhoʊli/

not hallowed or consecrated

From this reading “An Unholy Compact.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wits noun US /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading “"He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 54

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An Unholy Compact.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
appliedadjectiveUS /əˈplaɪd/

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
assistancenounUS /əˈsɪstəns/

the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Bolton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Pending verification
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
claynounUS /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CompactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading An Unholy Compact.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CurtisnounUS /ˈkɜːrtəs/

English botanical writer and publisher (1746-1799)

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LindennounUS /ˈlɪndən/

soft light-colored wood of any of various linden trees; used in making crates and boxes and in carving and millwork

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lossnounUS /lɔːs/

something that is lost

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
luxuriousadjectiveUS /ləɡˈʒɜːriəs/

displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pipenounUS /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recoveringadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərɪŋ/

returning to health after illness or debility

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stammered

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

Pending verification
strangelyadverbUS /ˈstreɪndʒli/

in a strange manner

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sumptuousadjectiveUS /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/

ostentatiously rich and superior in quality

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora curated lexicon
Tim

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Pending verification
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UnholyadjectiveUS /ənˈhoʊli/

not hallowed or consecrated

From this reading An Unholy Compact.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 3 of Adrift in New York by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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.

What does chapter 3 of Adrift in New York contain?

Chapter 3 holds 85 sentences of Adrift in New York, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Adrift in New York by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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.

How do I study chapter 3 of Adrift in New York?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

Questions about reading Adrift in New York

Common questions about reading Adrift in New York by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Adrift in New York?

Yes. All 4847 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18581 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Adrift in New York is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18581, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Adrift in New York take to read?

About 403 minutes of reading across 970 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Adrift in New York section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Adrift in New York

Words and structures a reader meets early in Adrift in New York, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Missing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adrift in New York; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adrift in New York; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adrift in New York; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
To-night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adrift in New York; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.