Chapter 18 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola. John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called. He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise. "What's the matter?" demanded David.
Chapter 18 of Luck and Pluck is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
a vertical cylindrical furnace for melting iron for casting
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading “He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.”
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
having something on top
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.”
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
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 “"That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.”
In this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.”
In this reading “John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.”
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 "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
a vertical cylindrical furnace for melting iron for casting
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "What's the matter?" demanded David.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
only a very short time before
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter?" demanded David.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
having something on top
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
communicated in words
From this reading He had hardly done so than he started and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter?" demanded David.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading John glanced at the building to which his attention was thus called.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading "That is the court-house," said David Wallace, pointing out a brick building, surmounted by a wooden cupola.
Chapter 18 of Luck and Pluck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 18 holds 171 sentences of Luck and Pluck, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Luck and Pluck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 18 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.
