Chapter 5 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN IS COMFORTED. "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John. Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot. John was silent. "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
Chapter 5 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
take revenge for a perceived wrong
From this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress
From this reading “BEN IS COMFORTED.”
-ing form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant
From this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
United States sharpshooter who was featured in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (1860-1926)
From this reading “"What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “"Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.”
reject (documents) as invalid
From this reading “"What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.”
plural of “wrong” — that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law
From this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “"Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.”
without delay or immediately
In this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
In this reading “Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
take revenge for a perceived wrong
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN IS COMFORTED.
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress
From this reading BEN IS COMFORTED.
with convulsions, in a convulsive way
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
-ing form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BEN IS COMFORTED.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
United States sharpshooter who was featured in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (1860-1926)
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
the act of punishing
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
reject (documents) as invalid
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading John was silent.
a male human offspring
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
express in speech
From this reading "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading John was silent.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why don't you speak, you young rascal?" demanded Mrs. Oakley, furiously.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
plural of “wrong” — that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law
From this reading Her hands trembled convulsively with passion, as if she would like to get hold of our hero, and avenge Ben's wrongs by inflicting punishment on the spot.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "What have you been doing to my son, you young reprobate?" demanded Mrs. Oakley of John.
Chapter 5 of Luck and Pluck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 5 holds 139 sentences of Luck and Pluck, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Luck and Pluck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 5 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 Luck and Pluck by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4853 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54265 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54265, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 404 minutes of reading across 971 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Luck and Pluck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Luck and Pluck 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 Luck and Pluck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
