Chapter 12 of Joe the Hotel Boy is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Joe the Hotel Boy is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE. “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor. “Sir, you are mistaken. Such a thing is impossible.” “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
Chapter 12 of Joe the Hotel Boy is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading ““This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.”
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading ““This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.”
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading ““This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.”
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading ““It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.”
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading ““Sir, you are mistaken.”
plural of “particular” — a fact about some part (as opposed to general)
From this reading “THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.”
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading ““This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.”
deprive of by deceit
From this reading “THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.”
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 PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Sir, you are mistaken.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Such a thing is impossible.”
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Such a thing is impossible.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading “Sir, you are mistaken.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.
plural of “particular” — a fact about some part (as opposed to general)
From this reading THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.
term of address for a man
From this reading “Sir, you are mistaken.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a thing is impossible.”
deprive of by deceit
From this reading THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PARTICULARS OF A SWINDLE.
a special situation
From this reading Such a thing is impossible.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This hotel haunted?” gasped the proprietor.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is true,” insisted Mr. Wilberforce Chaster.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Sir, you are mistaken.
Chapter 12 of Joe the Hotel Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 117 sentences of Joe the Hotel Boy, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Joe the Hotel Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 12 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 the Hotel Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3877 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #528 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #528, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 323 minutes of reading across 776 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Joe the Hotel Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Joe the Hotel Boy 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 the Hotel Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
