Hitting the line

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Hitting the line is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIV Reading 1/27

Hitting the line Ralph Henry Barbour

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Hitting the line is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE MIDDLETON GAME That was on Friday, and on Saturday morning Monty waited with mingled feelings of curiosity and uneasiness for Doctor Duncan to make an announcement in chapel regarding the matter of the stolen keys. Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious. But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair. Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan. Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

Hitting the line

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Hitting the line is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

/ˈdʒɪmi ˈloʊɡən wɑːz kwaɪt æz əˈlɜːrt ənd ˈliːɑːn wɑːz ˈpleɪnli ˈæŋkʃəs/

Line 3

But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

/bʌt tuː ðə sərˈpraɪz ʌv iːtʃ ənd ʌv ðə skuːl ɪn ˈdʒenərəl noʊ ˈmenʃən wɑːz meɪd ʌv ðə əˈfer/

Line 4

Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

/ˈfækəlti wɑːz ˈtriːtɪŋ ɪt wɪð blænd ˌʌnkənˈsɜːrn ɔːr soʊ ɪt wʊd siːm tuː wʌn les juːzd tuː ðə weɪz ʌv ˈfækəlti ðæn dʒeɪmz ˈtaʊnzənd ˈloʊɡən/

Line 5

Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

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.

bland adjective US /blænd/

lacking taste or flavor or tang

From this reading “Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.”

Leon noun US /ˈliːɑːn/

a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern Spain

From this reading “Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.”

Logan noun US /ˈloʊɡən/

a mountain peak in the St. Elias Range in the southwestern Yukon Territory in Canada (19,850 feet high)

From this reading “Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.”

middleton noun US /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

From this reading “THE MIDDLETON GAME That was on Friday, and on Saturday morning Monty waited with mingled feelings of curiosity and uneasiness for Doctor Duncan to make an announcement in chapel regarding the matter of the stolen keys.”

pessimistic adjective US /ˌpesəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the worst possible outcome

From this reading “Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.”

Townsend noun US /ˈtaʊnzənd/

United States social reformer who proposed an old-age pension sponsored by the federal government; his plan was a precursor to Social Security (1867-1960)

From this reading “Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.”

treating verb US /ˈtriːtɪŋ/

-ing form of “treat” — interact in a certain way

From this reading “Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.”

unconcern noun US /ˌʌnkənˈsɜːrn/

the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern

From this reading “Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.”

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.

mingled feelings verb + noun counted as “mingle feelings”

In this reading “THE MIDDLETON GAME That was on Friday, and on Saturday morning Monty waited with mingled feelings of curiosity and uneasiness for Doctor Duncan to make an announcement in chapel regarding the matter of the stolen keys.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

affairnounUS /əˈfer/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading THE MIDDLETON GAME That was on Friday, and on Saturday morning Monty waited with mingled feelings of curiosity and uneasiness for Doctor Duncan to make an announcement in chapel regarding the matter of the stolen keys.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

blandadjectiveUS /blænd/

lacking taste or flavor or tang

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

chapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/

a place of worship that has its own altar

curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

DuncannounUS /ˈdʌŋkən/

United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

FacultynounUS /ˈfækəlti/

one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

GAMEnounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

JimmyverbUS /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

keysnounUS /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

LeonnounUS /ˈliːɑːn/

a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern Spain

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

LogannounUS /ˈloʊɡən/

a mountain peak in the St. Elias Range in the southwestern Yukon Territory in Canada (19,850 feet high)

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

Lothrop

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

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

mentionverbUS /ˈmenʃən/

make reference to

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

MIDDLETONnounUS /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

mingledverbUS /ˈmɪŋɡəld/

past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else

Monty

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

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

pessimisticadjectiveUS /ˌpesəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the worst possible outcome

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

plainlyadverbUS /ˈpleɪnli/

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

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious.

regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

stolenverbUS /ˈstoʊlən/

inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

TownsendnounUS /ˈtaʊnzənd/

United States social reformer who proposed an old-age pension sponsored by the federal government; his plan was a precursor to Social Security (1867-1960)

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

treatingverbUS /ˈtriːtɪŋ/

-ing form of “treat” — interact in a certain way

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

unconcernnounUS /ˌʌnkənˈsɜːrn/

the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

uneasinessnounUS /ˌʌˈniːzinəs/

feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan.

Chapter 14 of Hitting the line by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 14 of Hitting the line contain?

Chapter 14 holds 139 sentences of Hitting the line, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Hitting the line by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 14 of Hitting the line?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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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Is this the complete text of Hitting the line?

Yes. All 5669 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71181 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #71181, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 472 minutes of reading across 1134 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Hitting the line

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hitting the line, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chance: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hitting the line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Encounter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hitting the line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alighted: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hitting the line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Surface: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hitting the line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XIV

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