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Billy To-morrow Stands the Test
Billy To-morrow Stands the Test

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Sarah Pratt Carr • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Billy To-morrow Stands the Test
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.
At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.
“Look at that curiosity.”
He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.
It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Billy To-morrow Stands the Test

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.
Line 2
At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.
/æt ðə kloʊs hiː wɑːz əˈstɑːnɪʃt tuː hiːr ˈmɪstər smɪθ ˈtʃʌkəl ˈsɔːftli/
Line 3
“Look at that curiosity.”
/lʊk æt ðæt ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/
Line 4
He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.
/hiː ˈhændəd ðə bɔɪ ə smʌdʒd ənd ˈrʌmpəld ˈletər/
Line 5
It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

Learner Dictionary

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.

blotted verb US /ˈblɑːtəd/

inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper

From this reading “It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chuckle noun US /ˈtʃʌkəl/

a soft partly suppressed laugh

From this reading “At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concerns noun US /kənˈsɜːrnz/

plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading “It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
den noun US /den/

the habitation of wild animals

From this reading “A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rumpled adjective US /ˈrʌmpəld/

in disarray; extremely disorderly

From this reading “He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signed adjective US /saɪnd/

having a handwritten signature

From this reading “It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smudged verb US /smʌdʒd/

past form of “smudge” — make a smudge on; soil by smudging

From this reading “He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
threat noun US /θret/

something that is a source of danger

From this reading “It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.”

52,521 times in 426,211 chapters
Look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading ““Look at that curiosity.””

296,767 times in 426,211 chapters
common enough adjective + noun

In this reading “It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.”

1,007 times in 426,211 chapters
GLEAM OF verb + particle

In this reading “A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.”

14,785 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blottedverbUS /ˈblɑːtəd/

inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chucklenounUS /ˈtʃʌkəl/

a soft partly suppressed laugh

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concernsnounUS /kənˈsɜːrnz/

plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading “Look at that curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dennounUS /den/

the habitation of wild animals

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GLEAMverbUS /ɡliːm/

be shiny, as if wet

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handedadjectiveUS /ˈhændəd/

having or involving the use of hands

From this reading He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ill-spelled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LIGHTadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Look at that curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rumpledadjectiveUS /ˈrʌmpəld/

in disarray; extremely disorderly

From this reading He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
safelyadverbUS /ˈseɪfli/

with safety; in a safe manner

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signedadjectiveUS /saɪnd/

having a handwritten signature

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smudgedverbUS /smʌdʒd/

past form of “smudge” — make a smudge on; soil by smudging

From this reading He handed the boy a smudged and rumpled letter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/

with low volume

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Look at that curiosity.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threatnounUS /θret/

something that is a source of danger

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading At the close he was astonished to hear Mr. Smith chuckle softly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tuk-wil-la

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Pending verification
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A GLEAM OF LIGHT WHEN Billy rang at Tuk-wil-la the next morning Mr. Smith was waiting for him; and safely in the den Billy told his story.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was a threat common enough to men of large concerns, ill-spelled, blotted, and signed with a black hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test by Sarah Pratt Carr holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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.

What does chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test contain?

Chapter 15 holds 235 sentences of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test by Sarah Pratt Carr exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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.

How do I study chapter 15 of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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.

Can chapter 15 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Billy To-morrow Stands the Test

Common questions about reading Billy To-morrow Stands the Test by Sarah Pratt Carr on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test?

Yes. All 3517 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56169 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56169, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Billy To-morrow Stands the Test take to read?

About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Billy To-morrow Stands the Test section by section

How to work through Billy To-morrow Stands the Test section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Billy To-morrow Stands the Test

Words and structures a reader meets early in Billy To-morrow Stands the Test, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Excitement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fifth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Avenue
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy To-morrow Stands the Test; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.