Chapter 26 of Make or Break is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Make or Break is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER. "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer. "In London," replied Andre. "Are you a Frenchman?" "My father was Italian, my mother French."
Chapter 26 of Make or Break is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
brought into existence
From this reading “"Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.”
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading “"My father was Italian, my mother French."”
a person of French nationality
From this reading “"Are you a Frenchman?"”
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading “"My father was Italian, my mother French."”
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading “"Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.”
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading “"In London," replied Andre.”
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.”
possessing material wealth
From this reading “THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.”
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.
a man who is wealthy
In this reading “THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.”
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 "Are you a Frenchman?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "In London," replied Andre.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you a Frenchman?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
brought into existence
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
a female human offspring
From this reading THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
a person of French nationality
From this reading "Are you a Frenchman?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In London," replied Andre.
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading "In London," replied Andre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "In London," replied Andre.
possessing material wealth
From this reading THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "My father was Italian, my mother French."
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Where were you born, Mr. Maggimore?" asked the Wittleworth lawyer.
Chapter 26 of Make or Break by Oliver Optic holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 26 holds 150 sentences of Make or Break, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Make or Break by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 26 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 Make or Break by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3574 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26695 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26695, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 297 minutes of reading across 715 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Make or Break section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Make or Break 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 Make or Break, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
