Chapter 1 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN BRUCE. SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY. _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS. BEN BRUCE. By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
Chapter 1 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 127 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.
United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)
From this reading “By HORATIO ALGER, JR.”
a street in Manhattan noted for cheap hotels frequented by homeless derelicts
From this reading “SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.”
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading “BEN BRUCE.”
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading “_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.”
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading “_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.”
plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
From this reading “_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.”
plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs
From this reading “SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.”
United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)
From this reading “_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.”
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.
a boy who earns money by running errands
In this reading “_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.”
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 SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)
From this reading By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN BRUCE.
a person who polishes shoes and boots
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
a street in Manhattan noted for cheap hotels frequented by homeless derelicts
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
a youthful male person
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading BEN BRUCE.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
a son who has the same first name as his father
From this reading By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
a boy who delivers newspapers
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.
male cat
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._ WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.
Chapter 1 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 127 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 1 holds 127 sentences of Ben Bruce, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 127 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 1 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 Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 1000 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ben Bruce section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Ben Bruce 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 Ben Bruce, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
