Chapter 12 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?” Grant Griswold smiled. “Hardly,” he said. “Ben, how old are you?”
Chapter 12 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading “A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading ““Ben, how old are you?””
a man of refinement
From this reading ““I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?””
let have
From this reading “Grant Griswold smiled.”
only a very short time before
From this reading ““Hardly,” he said.”
having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
From this reading ““I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?””
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading ““I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?””
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading “Grant Griswold smiled.”
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 NEW ACQUAINTANCE.”
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 NEW ACQUAINTANCE.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Ben, how old are you?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Ben, how old are you?”
a man of refinement
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
let have
From this reading Grant Griswold smiled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
only a very short time before
From this reading “Hardly,” he said.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Hardly,” he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ben, how old are you?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Ben, how old are you?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
express in words
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Grant Griswold smiled.
a male human offspring
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Ben, how old are you?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I say, Griswold,” said a gentleman seated at a neighboring table, “is that your son?”
Chapter 12 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 12 holds 141 sentences of Ben Bruce, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 12 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.
