Chapter 10 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces. They seemed far away. The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring. In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft. The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
Chapter 10 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading “In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.”
in a brisk manner
From this reading “The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.”
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading “The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.”
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading “The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.”
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading “The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.”
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading “SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.”
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading “The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.”
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.”
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 SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They seemed far away.
in a brisk manner
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading They seemed far away.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They seemed far away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading SAWDUST AND SPANGLES Andy stared down at a sea of faces.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They seemed far away.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft.
Chapter 10 of Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 10 holds 128 sentences of Andy the Acrobat, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 10 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 Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10396 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10396, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 347 minutes of reading across 835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Andy the Acrobat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Andy the Acrobat 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 Andy the Acrobat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
