Chapter 20 of Dan, the Newsboy is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Dan, the Newsboy is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS. Talbot went into the office where he was alone. But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within. The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels. One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
Chapter 20 of Dan, the Newsboy is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading “TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.”
bearing or marked with a label or tag
From this reading “One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."”
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading “The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.”
plural of “parcel” — a wrapped container
From this reading “The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.”
a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)
From this reading “But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.”
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading “One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."”
English inventor and pioneer in photography who published the first book illustrated with photographs (1800-1877)
From this reading “TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.”
possessive form of “talbot” — English inventor and pioneer in photography who published the first book illustrated with photographs (1800-1877)
From this reading “TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.”
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.
In this reading “But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.”
to come or go into
In this reading “Talbot went into the office where he was alone.”
In this reading “But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.”
In this reading “Talbot went into the office where he was alone.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
Having no one else present.
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
bearing or marked with a label or tag
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
plural of “parcel” — a wrapped container
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading One he replaced in the original paper and labeled it "$12,000."
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
English inventor and pioneer in photography who published the first book illustrated with photographs (1800-1877)
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
possessive form of “talbot” — English inventor and pioneer in photography who published the first book illustrated with photographs (1800-1877)
From this reading TALBOT'S SCHEME FAILS.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The book-keeper opened the package of bills, and divided them into two parcels.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
in or at the place that
From this reading Talbot went into the office where he was alone.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading But the partition walls were of glass, and Dan managed to put himself in a position where he could see all that passed within.
Chapter 20 of Dan, the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 150 sentences of Dan, the Newsboy, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Dan, the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 Dan, the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5264 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53345 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53345, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dan, the Newsboy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Dan, the Newsboy 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 Dan, the Newsboy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
