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Excuse Me!
Excuse Me!

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Excuse Me! is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Rupert Hughes • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Excuse Me!
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.
But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:
"Can't he go a little faster?"
"Can't you go a little faster?"
The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.
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.

Excuse Me!

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Excuse Me! is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.
Line 2
But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:
/bʌt ˈevədəntli sʌm ˈɡreɪtər fɪr ˈɡoʊdɪd hɜːr fɔːr ʃiː ɡæspt/
Line 3
"Can't he go a little faster?"
Line 4
"Can't you go a little faster?"
Line 5
The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.
/ðə jʌŋ mæn əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd haʊld æz hiː θrʌst hɪz hed ənd ˈʃoʊldərz θruː ðə ˈwɪndoʊ ɪn ðə dɔːr/

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.

alongside adverb US /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/

side by side

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frantically adverb US /ˈfræntəkəli/

in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goaded adjective US /ˈɡoʊdɪd/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading “But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
howled verb US /haʊld/

past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries

From this reading “The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scuttling verb US /ˈskʌtəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scuttle” — to move about or proceed hurriedly

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
taxicab noun US /ˈtæksikæb/

a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
terrified adjective US /ˈterəfaɪd/

thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wreck noun US /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

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.

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

130,774 times in 225,867 chapters
young woman adjective + noun

a young female

In this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

30,593 times in 225,867 chapters
through the window preposition + article + noun counted as “through … window”

In this reading “The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.”

8,438 times in 225,867 chapters
dark street noun + noun

In this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

716 times in 225,867 chapters
in the taxicab preposition + article + noun counted as “in … taxicab”

In this reading “THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.”

272 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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 "Can't he go a little faster?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alongsideadverbUS /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/

side by side

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Can't

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

From this reading "Can't he go a little faster?"

Pending verification
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/

inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fasteradverbUS /ˈfæstər/

more quickly

From this reading "Can't he go a little faster?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
franticallyadverbUS /ˈfræntəkəli/

in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gaspedverbUS /ɡæspt/

past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Can't he go a little faster?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goadedadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊdɪd/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Can't he go a little faster?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
howledverbUS /haʊld/

past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lawbreaking

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Pending verification
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "Can't he go a little faster?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neck-risking

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Pending verification
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
scuttlingverbUS /ˈskʌtəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scuttle” — to move about or proceed hurriedly

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading But evidently some greater fear goaded her, for she gasped:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TAXICABnounUS /ˈtæksikæb/

a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/

thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The young man alongside howled as he thrust his head and shoulders through the window in the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WRECKnounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Can't you go a little faster?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE TAXICAB The young woman in the taxicab scuttling frantically down the dark street, clung to the arm of the young man alongside, as if she were terrified at the lawbreaking, neck-risking speed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Excuse Me! contain?

Chapter 1 holds 106 sentences of Excuse Me!, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Excuse Me!?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Excuse Me!

Common questions about reading Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Excuse Me!?

Yes. All 4574 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40607 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Excuse Me! is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40607, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Excuse Me! take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Excuse Me! section by section

How to work through Excuse Me! 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 Excuse Me!

Words and structures a reader meets early in Excuse Me!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wreck
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taxicab
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.