Chapter 25 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXV
Chapter 25 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building. The woman rang the bell. An untidy servant girl made her appearance. Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said. "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
Chapter 25 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 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.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.”
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading “CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.”
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading “CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.”
failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to
From this reading “"Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “The woman rang the bell.”
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading “CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.”
not neat and tidy
From this reading “An untidy servant girl made her appearance.”
on a floor above
From this reading “"Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The woman rang the bell.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
a young female
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
a small worthless amount
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading The woman rang the bell.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The woman rang the bell.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading CAUGHT IN A TRAP Jack and his guide paused in front of a large three-story brick building.
not neat and tidy
From this reading An untidy servant girl made her appearance.
on a floor above
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Certainly, mum," answered the servant, and led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Mrs. Hardwick spoke to the servant in so low a voice that Jack couldn't hear what she said.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The woman rang the bell.
Chapter 25 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 25 holds 55 sentences of Jack's Ward, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 25 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 25 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 Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3966 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10729 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10729, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 330 minutes of reading across 794 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jack's Ward section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of Jack's Ward 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 Jack's Ward, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
