Chapter 20 of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter 20 of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment. Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried: "Sit still! Keep your seats! There is no danger!
Chapter 20 of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
From this reading “HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.”
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading “HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.”
United States film actor who appeared in many films with Katharine Hepburn (1900-1967)
From this reading “Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:”
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 HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading There is no danger!
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Keep your seats!
the force of workers available
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
not able to be found
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
a particular point in time
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
not any; not one
From this reading There is no danger!
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading Keep your seats!
marked by absence of sound
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
be seated
From this reading "Sit still!
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Sit still!
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HAM IS MISSING Surprise and astonishment held the audience silent and spellbound for a moment.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is no danger!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
United States film actor who appeared in many films with Katharine Hepburn (1900-1967)
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Then a woman screamed, and, ready for this emergency and fearing a panic, than which nothing is more dreaded by circus men, Jim Tracy cried:
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Keep your seats!
Chapter 20 of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater by Vance Barnum holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 20 holds 107 sentences of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater by Vance Barnum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 20 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 Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater by Vance Barnum on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3160 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10579 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10579, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 263 minutes of reading across 632 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater 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 Joe Strong the Boy Fire-Eater, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
