Chapter 28 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one. The door was fast locked. Escape from the windows seemed impracticable. This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner. But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
Chapter 28 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
without advance planning
From this reading “But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.”
plural of “avenue” — a line of approach
From this reading “This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.”
in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
From this reading “This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.”
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading “This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.”
not capable of being carried out or put into practice
From this reading “Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.”
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading “The door was fast locked.”
the possibility of future success
From this reading “THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.”
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading “THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.”
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 THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
without advance planning
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
from appearances alone
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
plural of “avenue” — a line of approach
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
the act of discovering something
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door was fast locked.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading The door was fast locked.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.
of great significance or value
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
not capable of being carried out or put into practice
From this reading Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.
a small worthless amount
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading The door was fast locked.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
the possibility of future success
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.
Chapter 28 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 50 sentences, grouped into 10 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 28 holds 50 sentences of Jack's Ward, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 50 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 10 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 28 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.
