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Motor Matt's Hard Luck
Motor Matt's Hard Luck

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Motor Matt's Hard Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.
Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.
The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.
While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.
Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.
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Speed 0.75x
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 Hard Luck

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.
/æt ðə bəˈluːn haʊs/
Line 2
Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.
Line 3
The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.
Line 4
While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.
Line 5
Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

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.

Automobile noun US /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.”

balloon noun US /bəˈluːn/

large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

From this reading “AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.”

boarding noun US /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/

the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft

From this reading “While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.”

Hawk noun US /hɔːk/

diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

From this reading “Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.”

Kansas noun US /ˈkænzəs/

a state in midwestern United States

From this reading “The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.”

motorist noun US /ˈmoʊtərɪst/

someone who drives (or travels in) an automobile

From this reading “The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.”

representatives noun US /ˌreprəˈzentətɪvz/

plural of “representative” — a person who represents others

From this reading “The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.”

sever verb US /ˈsevər/

set or keep apart

From this reading “The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.”

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.

boarding house noun + noun

a private house that provides accommodations and meals for paying guests

In this reading “While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.”

watch over verb + particle

follow with the eyes or the mind

In this reading “Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.”

went into verb + particle counted as “go into”

to come or go into

In this reading “Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.”

two officers noun + noun counted as “two officer”

In this reading “Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.”

on guard preposition + noun

vigilant

In this reading “Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.

AutomobilenounUS /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

baggagenounUS /ˈbæɡədʒ/

cases used to carry belongings when traveling

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

BALLOONnounUS /bəˈluːn/

large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

From this reading AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.

billnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

boardingnounUS /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/

the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

Borden

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

Carl

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

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

connectionnounUS /kəˈnekʃən/

a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

cupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

easternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/

lying toward or situated in the east

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

Ferral

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

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

HawknounUS /hɔːk/

diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

Jarrot

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

KansasnounUS /ˈkænzəs/

a state in midwestern United States

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

LateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

Lestrange

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

MattnounUS /mæt/

the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

MeanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

motoristnounUS /ˈmoʊtərɪst/

someone who drives (or travels in) an automobile

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

recentadjectiveUS /ˈriːsənt/

new

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

representativesnounUS /ˌreprəˈzentətɪvz/

plural of “representative” — a person who represents others

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

settleverbUS /ˈsetəl/

settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

seververbUS /ˈsevər/

set or keep apart

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE BALLOON HOUSE.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Meanwhile, Dick Ferral went to the balloon house to keep watch over the Hawk with the two officers on guard there.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Late that afternoon Matt and Carl went into Chicago on the train.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While Matt was at the office of the Lestrange Company, Carl was to go to the boarding house, settle their bill, and get their baggage.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young motorist had to sever his connection with the Lestrange people, who were the eastern representatives of the Jarrot Automobile Company, for whom Matt had won the Borden cup during the recent Kansas race.

Chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews holds 117 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.

What does chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck contain?

Chapter 8 holds 117 sentences of Motor Matt's Hard Luck, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck?

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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Hard Luck

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

Is this the complete text of Motor Matt's Hard Luck?

Yes. All 2297 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47975 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47975, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Motor Matt's Hard Luck take to read?

About 191 minutes of reading across 460 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Motor Matt's Hard Luck section by section

How to work through Motor Matt's Hard Luck 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 Hard Luck 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 Hard Luck

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

Issued
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Hard Luck; 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 Hard Luck; 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 Hard Luck; 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 Hard Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.