Chapter 17 of Ahead of the Show is here in full — 116 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 Ahead of the Show is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I WANT YOU." "I thought I should find you here," the manager said. "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word." "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al. "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
Chapter 17 of Ahead of the Show is here in full — 116 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.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading “"I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “"Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.”
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading “"I thought I should find you here," the manager said.”
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading “"I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “"I WANT YOU."”
plural of “wattle” — a fleshy wrinkled and often brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat of certain birds (chickens and turkeys) or lizards
From this reading “"Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “"I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."”
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “"Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “"Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.”
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.
a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I WANT YOU."
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
express in words
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I thought I should find you here," the manager said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I WANT YOU."
plural of “wattle” — a fleshy wrinkled and often brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat of certain birds (chickens and turkeys) or lizards
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "I want to offer you my congratulations before I say another word."
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Why, upon the way you have worked things here, of course.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I WANT YOU."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your congratulations upon what, Mr. Wattles?" asked Al.
Chapter 17 of Ahead of the Show by Fred Thorpe holds 116 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 116 sentences of Ahead of the Show, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Ahead of the Show by Fred Thorpe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 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 Ahead of the Show by Fred Thorpe on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3491 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39454 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39454, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 290 minutes of reading across 699 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ahead of the Show section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Ahead of the Show 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 Ahead of the Show, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
