Chapter 17 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE. Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return. "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak. "No, sir." "Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.
Chapter 17 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading “"Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.”
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading “"Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.”
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE.”
past form of “re-enter” — enter again
From this reading “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
the act of receiving
From this reading “"Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.”
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 “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
bring back to the point of departure
In this reading “"Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.”
move upward
In this reading “Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.”
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 "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading "Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE.
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, sir."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading OLIVER LOSES HIS PLACE.
past form of “re-enter” — enter again
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
the act of receiving
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
term of address for a man
From this reading "No, sir."
express in speech
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
having a supporting base
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
which person or people
From this reading Oliver re-entered the store and went up to Mr. Bond, who was standing behind the counter awaiting his return.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why not?" demanded Bond, frowning.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you brought back the receipt?" asked his employer, before he had a chance to speak.
Chapter 17 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 17 holds 117 sentences of Adrift in the City, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 17 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 Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4712 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56973 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56973, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 392 minutes of reading across 943 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Adrift in the City section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Adrift in the City 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 Adrift in the City, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
