Chapter 18 of Ahead of the Show is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Ahead of the Show is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. MARMADUKE MERRY. "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke. "That's what I said. Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
Chapter 18 of Ahead of the Show is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
take into custody
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading “MARMADUKE MERRY.”
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading “Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
From this reading “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
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 “"A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.”
In this reading “Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."”
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 "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
take into custody
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
a boy or man
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "That's what I said.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARMADUKE MERRY.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading MARMADUKE MERRY.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
and nothing more
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That's what I said.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's what I said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "A warrant for my arrest?" gasped Al, half believing that the sudden appearance of the stranger was only a joke.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "That's what I said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Now, young fellow, don't you try to resist me, for it won't work."
Chapter 18 of Ahead of the Show by Fred Thorpe holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 18 holds 106 sentences of Ahead of the Show, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Ahead of the Show by Fred Thorpe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 18 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.
