Chapter 31 of Ben Bruce 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 XXXI
Chapter 31 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
UNWELCOME NEWS. “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight. “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially. “I had lost sight of you. I did not know you were abroad.”
Chapter 31 of Ben Bruce 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.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading “I did not know you were abroad.””
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading ““Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.”
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading ““Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.”
in a hearty manner
From this reading ““I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.”
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading ““Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.”
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading ““I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.”
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading “UNWELCOME NEWS.”
United States civil rights leader (1901-1981)
From this reading ““Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.”
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 ““I had lost sight of you.”
In this reading ““Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.”
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.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading I did not know you were abroad.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
in a hearty manner
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not know you were abroad.”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I had lost sight of you.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I did not know you were abroad.”
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “I had lost sight of you.
come together
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
information about recent and important events
From this reading UNWELCOME NEWS.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not know you were abroad.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I had lost sight of you.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading “I had lost sight of you.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading UNWELCOME NEWS.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I did not know you were abroad.”
United States civil rights leader (1901-1981)
From this reading “Ben Bruce!” exclaimed Wilkins in surprise and delight.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wilkins,” said Ben, shaking his hand cordially.
Chapter 31 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 31 holds 128 sentences of Ben Bruce, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 31 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.
