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American boys afloat
American boys afloat

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of American boys afloat is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for American boys afloat
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.
These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.
With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.
Scott and the guide attended him.
"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

American boys afloat

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of American boys afloat is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.
Line 2
These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.
/ðiːz men ɑːr faʊnd ɪn ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl pɑːrts ʌv ðə ˈsɪti ənd wen ðə hɔːrs ɪz ˈteɪkən ðeɪ əˈkʌmpəni hɪm ɑːn fʊt weˈrevər hiː ɡoʊz/
Line 3
With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.
Line 4
Scott and the guide attended him.
/skɑːt ənd ðə ɡaɪd əˈtendɪd hɪm/
Line 5
"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

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.

accompany verb US /əˈkʌmpəni/

be present or associated with an event or entity

From this reading “These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.”

Arabs noun US /ˈærəbz/

plural of “arab” — a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

bargaining noun US /ˈbɑːrɡɪnɪŋ/

the negotiation of the terms of a transaction or agreement

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

filthy adjective US /ˈfɪlθi/

disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter

From this reading “"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.”

highness noun US /ˈhaɪnəs/

(Your Highness or His Highness or Her Highness) title used to address a royal person

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

Morris noun US /ˈmɔːrəs/

United States suffragist in Wyoming (1814-1902)

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

oriental adjective US /ˌɔːriˈentəl/

denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

Scott noun US /skɑːt/

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading “HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

came out verb + adjective counted as “come out”

appear or become visible; make a showing

In this reading “"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.”

With the assistance preposition + article + noun counted as “with … assistance”

In this reading “With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.”

started down verb + adjective counted as “start down”

In this reading “"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.”

on foot preposition + noun

In this reading “These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

accompanyverbUS /əˈkʌmpəni/

be present or associated with an event or entity

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

ArabsnounUS /ˈærəbz/

plural of “arab” — a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

assistancenounUS /əˈsɪstəns/

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

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

attendedadjectiveUS /əˈtendɪd/

playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment

From this reading Scott and the guide attended him.

bargainingnounUS /ˈbɑːrɡɪnɪŋ/

the negotiation of the terms of a transaction or agreement

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

CITYnounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

Felix

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

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

filthyadjectiveUS /ˈfɪlθi/

disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

Flix

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

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

guidenounUS /ɡaɪd/

someone employed to conduct others

From this reading Scott and the guide attended him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

HIGHNESSnounUS /ˈhaɪnəs/

(Your Highness or His Highness or Her Highness) title used to address a royal person

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

LouisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

MorrisnounUS /ˈmɔːrəs/

United States suffragist in Wyoming (1814-1902)

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

mountedadjectiveUS /ˈmaʊntəd/

assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

Munif

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

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

ORIENTALadjectiveUS /ˌɔːriˈentəl/

denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

partsnounUS /pɑːrts/

the local environment

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

principalnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

ScottnounUS /skɑːt/

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/

having a sharp inclination

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

tradenounUS /treɪd/

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading With the assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the horse.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy street.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

whereverconjunctionUS /weˈrevər/

in or to any place at all

From this reading These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.

Chapter 38 of American boys afloat by Oliver Optic holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 38 of American boys afloat contain?

Chapter 38 holds 125 sentences of American boys afloat, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of American boys afloat by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 38 of American boys afloat?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 American boys afloat

Common questions about reading American boys afloat by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of American boys afloat?

Yes. All 3955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75149 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of American boys afloat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75149, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does American boys afloat take to read?

About 329 minutes of reading across 791 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in American boys afloat

Words and structures a reader meets early in American boys afloat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of American boys afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of American boys afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of American boys afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of American boys afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.