Chapter 16 of Follow the Ball is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Follow the Ball is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GINGER BURKE “Hello!” “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest. “Hello, son,” he returned gravely. “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?” “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
Chapter 16 of Follow the Ball is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
to gain with effort
From this reading ““Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?””
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading ““Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.”
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading “GINGER BURKE “Hello!””
(baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher
From this reading ““Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.”
perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems
From this reading “GINGER BURKE “Hello!””
an expression of greeting
From this reading “GINGER BURKE “Hello!””
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading ““Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.”
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading ““Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.”
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.
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.
to gain with effort
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
eagerly desirous
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading GINGER BURKE “Hello!”
(baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems
From this reading GINGER BURKE “Hello!”
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading “Hello, son,” he returned gravely.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Hello, son,” he returned gravely.
an expression of greeting
From this reading GINGER BURKE “Hello!”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “Hello, son,” he returned gravely.
an educational institution
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
a particular branch of scientific knowledge
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
a male human offspring
From this reading “Hello, son,” he returned gravely.
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Is it natural or did science achieve that brilliant result?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Babe” Linder, the big catcher of the Holman’s School nine, turned in the operation of pulling on his huge mitt and observed the speaker with mild interest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What yer mean?” asked the other, earnest and anxious.
Chapter 16 of Follow the Ball by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 16 holds 161 sentences of Follow the Ball, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Follow the Ball by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 16 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 Follow the Ball by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3711 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60540 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60540, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 309 minutes of reading across 743 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Follow the Ball section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Follow the Ball 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 Follow the Ball, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
