Chapter 15 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer. He prepared to take advantage of it. “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper. “Say what?” inquired Ben. The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
Chapter 15 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.”
past form of “correspond” — be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading “The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.”
someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
From this reading “A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.”
someone in charge of other people
From this reading ““Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.”
lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar
From this reading “The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.”
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading “A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.”
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading “A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.”
in a statistically significant way
From this reading “The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.”
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.
draw advantages from
In this reading “He prepared to take advantage of it.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.”
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 MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
past form of “correspond” — be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
an opposing military force
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
someone in charge of other people
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
on one occasion
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
having a point
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
cut with a saw
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
express in words
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
in a statistically significant way
From this reading The man pointed significantly to the pin that corresponded to the one on the lapel of his own coat.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
carry out
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MEAN ENEMY Ben saw at once that the sight of the pin had produced a great effect on the second-hand dealer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He prepared to take advantage of it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Say what?” inquired Ben.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Why didn’t you say so at first?” inquired the store keeper.
Chapter 15 of Ben Hardy's flying machine by Frank V. Webster holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 holds 117 sentences of Ben Hardy's flying machine, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Ben Hardy's flying machine by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 15 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 Hardy's flying machine by Frank V. Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3258 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69511 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #69511, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 271 minutes of reading across 652 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ben Hardy's flying machine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Ben Hardy's flying machine 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 Hardy's flying machine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
