Chapter 20 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth. “And guesswork,” added Ben. “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land. The tank register is at the exhaust line. Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
Chapter 20 of Ben Hardy's flying machine is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 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.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading ““And guesswork,” added Ben.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.”
wear out completely
From this reading “The tank register is at the exhaust line.”
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading ““And guesswork,” added Ben.”
cause to move by striking
From this reading ““Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.”
record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions
From this reading “The tank register is at the exhaust line.”
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading “The tank register is at the exhaust line.”
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading “CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.”
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.
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “And guesswork,” added Ben.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And guesswork,” added Ben.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “And guesswork,” added Ben.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
wear out completely
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading “And guesswork,” added Ben.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
cause to move by striking
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
engage in
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
express a supposition
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading The tank register is at the exhaust line.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CRUSOES OF THE AIR “It’s business now,” said Bob Dallow, between his teeth.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hit or miss, though, we’ve got to make land.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Where do you suppose we are, Bob?”
Chapter 20 of Ben Hardy's flying machine by Frank V. Webster holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 20 holds 125 sentences of Ben Hardy's flying machine, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Ben Hardy's flying machine by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 20 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.
