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In a New World
In a New World

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of In a New World is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.
Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.
Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.
Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.
Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.
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In a New World

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of In a New World is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.
/ðə bɔɪz sɪˈkjʊr pəˈzɪʃənz/
Line 2
Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.
Line 3
Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.
Line 4
Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.
/əˈkʌmpənid baɪ dʒæk hiː kɔːld wʌn ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
Line 5
Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

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.

courteous adjective US /ˈkɜːrtiəs/

exhibiting courtesy and politeness

From this reading “Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.”

importers noun US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “importer” — someone whose business involves importing goods from outside (especially from a foreign country)

From this reading “Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.”

introduction noun US /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading “Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.”

Melbourne noun US /ˈmelbərn/

a resort town in east central Florida

From this reading “Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.”

politeness noun US /pəˈlaɪtnəs/

a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage

From this reading “Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.”

positions noun US /pəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading “THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.”

uncle's noun US /ˈʌŋkəlz/

possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading “Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.”

Vane noun US /veɪn/

mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind

From this reading “Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.”

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.

forty years adjective + noun

In this reading “Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.”

lower part verb + noun

In this reading “Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.”

Before leaving preposition + noun

In this reading “Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.”

call upon verb + particle

In this reading “Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

AccompaniedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌmpənid/

having companions or an escort

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

BOYSnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

cordialitynoun

a cordial disposition

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

courteousadjectiveUS /ˈkɜːrtiəs/

exhibiting courtesy and politeness

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

importersnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “importer” — someone whose business involves importing goods from outside (especially from a foreign country)

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

inquirynounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː/

a search for knowledge

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

introductionnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

MelbournenounUS /ˈmelbərn/

a resort town in east central Florida

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

nephewnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Accompanied by Jack, he called one morning.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

politenessnounUS /pəˈlaɪtnəs/

a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

POSITIONSnounUS /pəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

SECUREverbUS /sɪˈkjʊr/

get by special effort

From this reading THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.

stylenounUS /staɪl/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BOYS SECURE POSITIONS.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/

possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

VanenounUS /veɪn/

mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Upon inquiry, he found that John Woolson & Co. (the style of the firm) were large importers in the lower part of the city.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

Woolson

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

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Mr. John Woolson, a courteous gentleman, about forty years of age, received him with politeness, which changed to cordiality when he had read his uncle's letter.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Before leaving New York, Harry Vane decided to call upon the nephew to whom Mr. Woolson of Melbourne had given him a letter of introduction.

Chapter 38 of In a New World by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 38 of In a New World contain?

Chapter 38 holds 82 sentences of In a New World, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of In a New World by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 38 of In a New World?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 In a New World

Common questions about reading In a New World by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In a New World?

Yes. All 4094 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In a New World is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In a New World take to read?

About 341 minutes of reading across 819 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in In a New World

Words and structures a reader meets early in In a New World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Horatio
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a New World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a New World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a New World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Facing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a New World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.