Bob Hazard, Dam Builder

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Carl Brandt • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

As they had so little time in which to accomplish their plan every minute was valuable, so, as soon as they had provided for the night, they started out to find some sort of a boat to carry them on their adventure.

The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

Narrator

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.

Chapter IV Reading 1/92

Bob Hazard, Dam Builder Carl Brandt

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert. There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep. As they had so little time in which to accomplish their plan every minute was valuable, so, as soon as they had provided for the night, they started out to find some sort of a boat to carry them on their adventure. The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one. The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

Bob Hazard, Dam Builder

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

/ðə ˈlæbərɪnθ leɪt ɪn ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn ʌv ðə nekst deɪ ðə tuː bɔɪz drɑːpt ɔːf ðə treɪn æt ə ˈlɪtəl ˈsteɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈdezərt/

Line 2

There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

/ðer wɑːz noʊ hoʊˈtel əˈmʌŋ ðə ˈhaʊsəz ˈskætərd əˈlɔːŋ ðə træk bʌt ðeɪ wɜːr ˈlʌki ɪˈnʌf tuː faɪnd ə ruːm ˈoʊvər ðə ˈdʒenərəl stɔːr ɪn wɪtʃ tuː sliːp/

Line 3

/æz ðeɪ hæd soʊ ˈlɪtəl taɪm ɪn wɪtʃ tuː əˈkɑːmplɪʃ ðer plæn ˈevəri ˈmɪnət wɑːz ˈvæljəbəl soʊ æz suːn æz ðeɪ hæd prəˈvaɪdɪd fɔːr ðə naɪt ðeɪ ˈstɑːrtɪd aʊt tuː faɪnd sʌm sɔːrt ʌv ə boʊt tuː ˈkæri ðem ɑːn ðer ædˈventʃər/

Line 4

The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

/ðə prəˈpraɪətər ʌv ðə stɔːr huː wɑːz ˈɔːlsoʊ ðer hoʊst dərˈektəd ðem tuː ə mæn hiː θɔːt maɪt hæv wʌn/

Line 5

The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

/ðə ˈlætər ə ˈræntʃər ɪn ə smɔːl weɪ wɑːz ˈræðər ˈduːbiəs æz tuː ðə boʊts ˈbiːɪŋ ɪn ə kənˈdɪʃən tuː ˈnævəɡeɪt/

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.

accomplish verb US /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading “As they had so little time in which to accomplish their plan every minute was valuable, so, as soon as they had provided for the night, they started out to find some sort of a boat to carry them on their adventure.”

boat's noun US /boʊts/

possessive form of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

dubious adjective US /ˈduːbiəs/

fraught with uncertainty or doubt

From this reading “The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.”

labyrinth noun US /ˈlæbərɪnθ/

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading “THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.”

lucky adjective US /ˈlʌki/

occurring by chance

From this reading “There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.”

navigate verb US /ˈnævəɡeɪt/

travel on water propelled by wind or by other means

From this reading “The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.”

proprietor noun US /prəˈpraɪətər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading “The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.”

rancher noun US /ˈræntʃər/

a person who owns or operates a ranch

From this reading “The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.”

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 day adjective + noun

In this reading “THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.”

lucky enough adjective + noun

In this reading “There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.”

some sort adjective + noun

In this reading “As they had so little time in which to accomplish their plan every minute was valuable, so, as soon as they had provided for the night, they started out to find some sort of a boat to carry them on their adventure.”

general store adjective + noun

a retail store serving a sparsely populated region; usually stocked with a wide variety of merchandise

In this reading “There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.”

along the track preposition + article + noun counted as “along … track”

In this reading “There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.”

provided for verb + particle counted as “provide for”

dropped off verb + particle counted as “drop off”

fall or diminish

In this reading “THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.”

find some verb + adjective

All words in this reading · 84

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 THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading As they had so little time in which to accomplish their plan every minute was valuable, so, as soon as they had provided for the night, they started out to find some sort of a boat to carry them on their adventure.

adventureverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

boat'snounUS /boʊts/

possessive form of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

desertverbUS /ˈdezərt/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/

(often used in combination) having a specified direction

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

dubiousadjectiveUS /ˈduːbiəs/

fraught with uncertainty or doubt

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

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

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

hostnounUS /hoʊst/

a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

LABYRINTHnounUS /ˈlæbərɪnθ/

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

LateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

luckyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌki/

occurring by chance

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

navigateverbUS /ˈnævəɡeɪt/

travel on water propelled by wind or by other means

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

proprietornounUS /prəˈpraɪətər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

providedverbUS /prəˈvaɪdɪd/

past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to

ranchernounUS /ˈræntʃər/

a person who owns or operates a ranch

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

scatteredadjectiveUS /ˈskætərd/

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

storenounUS /stɔːr/

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE LABYRINTH Late in the afternoon of the next day the two boys dropped off the train at a little station in the desert.

valuableadjectiveUS /ˈvæljəbəl/

having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The latter, a rancher in a small way, was rather dubious as to the boat’s being in a condition to navigate.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There was no hotel among the houses scattered along the track but they were lucky enough to find a room over the general store in which to sleep.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The proprietor of the store, who was also their host, directed them to a man he thought might have one.

Chapter 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder by Carl Brandt holds 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder contain?

Chapter 4 holds 461 sentences of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Bob Hazard, Dam Builder by Carl Brandt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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.

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Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

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About 292 minutes of reading across 702 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter IV

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