Chapter 5 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MIDNIGHT CALL. Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree. He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened. “Something struck me,” he said. “What was it and who did it?”
Chapter 5 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading “He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.”
held up in the air
From this reading “He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.”
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading “A MIDNIGHT CALL.”
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
a vagrant
From this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
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 deciduous tree of the genus Quercus; has acorns and lobed leaves
In this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
In this reading “Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.”
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 MIDNIGHT CALL.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading A MIDNIGHT CALL.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “What was it and who did it?”
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
set up or found
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “What was it and who did it?”
held up in the air
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Something struck me,” he said.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading A MIDNIGHT CALL.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
not any; not one
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
To recall to mind.
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Something struck me,” he said.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Something struck me,” he said.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading “Something struck me,” he said.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
a vagrant
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What was it and who did it?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He lifted himself on his elbow and tried to remember what had happened.
at the time that
From this reading Probably no more astonished man lived than the tramp when his consciousness returned and he found himself lying on his back under the big oak tree.
which person or people
From this reading “What was it and who did it?”
Chapter 5 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 5 holds 72 sentences of Ben Bruce, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 5 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.
