Chapter 36 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter 36 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DENTON IS CHECKMATED. Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered. His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing. Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination. Kelso was a village of moderate size.
Chapter 36 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
transmit information
From this reading “Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.”
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
From this reading “Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.”
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading “His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.”
past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading “Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.”
preside over
From this reading “Kelso was a village of moderate size.”
paying close attention especially to details
From this reading “His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.”
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading “Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.”
believed likely
From this reading “His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.”
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 “Kelso was a village of moderate size.”
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 Kelso was a village of moderate size.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DENTON IS CHECKMATED.
transmit information
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DENTON IS CHECKMATED.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DENTON IS CHECKMATED.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kelso was a village of moderate size.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
preside over
From this reading Kelso was a village of moderate size.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
paying close attention especially to details
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Kelso was a village of moderate size.
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading Kelso was a village of moderate size.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
believed likely
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Kelso was a village of moderate size.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His guardian was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading Oliver wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered.
Chapter 36 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 36 holds 91 sentences of Adrift in the City, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 36 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 19 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 36 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.
