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Motor Matt's Close Call
Motor Matt's Close Call

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Motor Matt's Close Call
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CONCLUSION.
Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.
He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.
The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.
"You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Motor Matt's Close Call

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CONCLUSION.
/kənˈkluːʒən/
Line 2
Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.
Line 3
He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.
Line 4
The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.
/ðə ˈdɑːktər wen hiː kɔːld ʃʊk hɪz hænd ɪn kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/
Line 5
"You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.
/juː ɑːr ˈduːɪŋ ˈbetər ðæn aɪ derd tuː hoʊp ˈkæptən sed hiː/

Learner Dictionary

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.

astonishing adjective US /əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋ/

surprising greatly

From this reading “Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.”

congratulation noun US /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading “The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.”

Gaines verb US /ɡeɪnz/

third-person singular of “gain” — obtain

From this reading “He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.”

Honduras noun US /hɑːnˈdʊrəs/

a republic in Central America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821; an early center of Mayan culture

From this reading “Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.”

optimistic adjective US /ˌɑːptəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds

From this reading “He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.”

outlook noun US /ˈaʊtlʊk/

a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations

From this reading “He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.”

rally verb US /ˈræli/

gather

From this reading “Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.”

refreshing adjective US /rɪˈfreʃɪŋ/

imparting vitality and energy

From this reading “He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

during the night preposition + article + noun counted as “during … night”

In this reading “Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.”

good things adjective + noun

In this reading “He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.”

slowly up adverb + adjective

In this reading “Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

astonishingadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋ/

surprising greatly

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

boded

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/

the people of Great Britain

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

Clackett

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

CONCLUSIONnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading CONCLUSION.

congratulationnounUS /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/

a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

daredverbUS /derd/

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

GainesverbUS /ɡeɪnz/

third-person singular of “gain” — obtain

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

Grampusnoun

predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

HondurasnounUS /hɑːnˈdʊrəs/

a republic in Central America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821; an early center of Mayan culture

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

JrnounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/

a son who has the same first name as his father

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

Nemo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

optimisticadjectiveUS /ˌɑːptəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

outlooknounUS /ˈaʊtlʊk/

a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

rallyverbUS /ˈræli/

gather

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

refreshingadjectiveUS /rɪˈfreʃɪŋ/

imparting vitality and energy

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

slumbernounUS /ˈslʌmbər/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

Speake

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Captain Nemo, Jr., made an astonishing rally during the night the _Grampus_ was creeping slowly up the shore of British Honduras.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The doctor, when he called, shook his hand in congratulation.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He awoke from a refreshing slumber, sound of mind and with an optimistic outlook on life which boded good things for Speake, Gaines and Clackett.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You are doing better than I dared to hope, captain," said he.

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call by Stanley R. Matthews holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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.

What does chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call contain?

Chapter 17 holds 415 sentences of Motor Matt's Close Call, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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.

How do I study chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Close Call?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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.

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

Questions about reading Motor Matt's Close Call

Common questions about reading Motor Matt's Close Call by Stanley R. Matthews on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Motor Matt's Close Call?

Yes. All 2358 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49695 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Motor Matt's Close Call is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49695, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Motor Matt's Close Call take to read?

About 196 minutes of reading across 472 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Motor Matt's Close Call section by section

How to work through Motor Matt's Close Call section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of Motor Matt's Close Call to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Motor Matt's Close Call

Words and structures a reader meets early in Motor Matt's Close Call, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Issued
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Close Call; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Weekly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Close Call; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Subscription
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Close Call; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Entered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Close Call; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.