Chapter 7 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright. “What shall I do?” he ejaculated. “I can’t tell you,” said the officer. “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
Chapter 7 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 119 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.
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading ““One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.””
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading “The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.”
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
of no value
From this reading “JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.”
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 JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I can’t tell you,” said the officer.
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
rid of obstructions
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What shall I do?” he ejaculated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What shall I do?” he ejaculated.
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “What shall I do?” he ejaculated.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading “I can’t tell you,” said the officer.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
a course of conduct
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I can’t tell you,” said the officer.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “What shall I do?” he ejaculated.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading The minute before he was in high spirits--his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
express in words
From this reading “I can’t tell you,” said the officer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
a special situation
From this reading “One thing is clear--you can’t go to California on that ticket.”
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
of no value
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading JOE’S LUCK CHANGES The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What shall I do?” he ejaculated.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I can’t tell you,” said the officer.
Chapter 7 of Joe's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 7 holds 119 sentences of Joe's Luck, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Joe's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 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 7 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's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4130 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 826 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Joe's Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Joe's Luck 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's Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
