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Bound to Succeed
Bound to Succeed

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Bound to Succeed is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Allen Chapman • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Bound to Succeed
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.
Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.
His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.
“Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.
“And she’s a cracker-jack!”
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.

Bound to Succeed

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Bound to Succeed is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.
/ə səˈspɪʃəs ˈvɪzɪtər fræŋk lʊkt ʌp frʌm hɪz wɜːrk wɪð æn ˈiːɡər flʌʃ ɑːn hɪz feɪs/
Line 2
Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.
Line 3
His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.
Line 4
“Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.
Line 5
“And she’s a cracker-jack!”

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.

bearer noun US /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading “His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cheery adjective US /ˈtʃɪri/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading “His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flush noun US /flʌʃ/

the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

From this reading “A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frank's noun US /fræŋks/

possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mail noun US /meɪl/

the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

From this reading ““Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ringing noun US /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading “His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suspicious adjective US /səˈspɪʃəs/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading “A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whistle verb US /ˈwɪsəl/

make whistling sounds

From this reading “His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.”

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.

post office verb + noun

a local branch where postal services are available

In this reading “Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.”

3,332 times in 426,211 chapters
good news adjective + noun

In this reading “His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.”

7,542 times in 426,211 chapters
looked up verb + adjective counted as “look up”

seek information from

In this reading “A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.”

73,493 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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 SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AfternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bearernounUS /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cheeryadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪri/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cracker-jack

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

From this reading “And she’s a cracker-jack!”

Pending verification
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/

having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flushnounUS /flʌʃ/

the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frank'snounUS /fræŋks/

possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mailnounUS /meɪl/

the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Markham

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

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Pending verification
newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
puttingnounUS /ˈpʌtɪŋ/

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sangnounUS /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satchelnoun

luggage consisting of a small case with a flat bottom and (usually) a shoulder strap

From this reading “Afternoon mail,” sang out Markham, putting the satchel down on Frank’s desk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
she's

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

From this reading “And she’s a cracker-jack!”

Pending verification
springyadjective

elastic; rebounds readily

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SUSPICIOUSadjectiveUS /səˈspɪʃəs/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

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 Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VISITORnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

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 Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/

make whistling sounds

From this reading His light, springy step coming up the walk, and cheery, ringing whistle told Frank that he was the bearer of good news.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Markham, who had gone to the post office, was returning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR Frank looked up from his work with an eager flush on his face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 18 of Bound to Succeed by Allen Chapman holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 18 of Bound to Succeed contain?

Chapter 18 holds 101 sentences of Bound to Succeed, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Bound to Succeed by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 18 of Bound to Succeed?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Bound to Succeed

Common questions about reading Bound to Succeed by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bound to Succeed?

Yes. All 3699 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41741 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bound to Succeed is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41741, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bound to Succeed take to read?

About 308 minutes of reading across 740 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bound to Succeed section by section

How to work through Bound to Succeed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of Bound to Succeed to begin.

  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 Bound to Succeed

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bound to Succeed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bound to Succeed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heroes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bound to Succeed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
School
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bound to Succeed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wilding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bound to Succeed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.