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

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Stanley R. Matthews • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Motor Matt's Hard Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.
There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.
Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.
"Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.
"We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."
0:00 / 0:00
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 XV

Chapter 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.
/ðə wʊdz baɪ ðə ˈrɪvər/
Line 2
There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.
/ðer wɑːz ə weɪt ɑːn ə ˈsaɪdɪŋ ə ˈlɪtəl weɪ aʊt ʌv taʊn fɔːr əˈnʌðər kɑːr frʌm ɡrænd ˈræpədz tuː pæs ɑːn ðə ˈsɪŋɡəl træk ʌv ðə ˈtrɑːli ˈsɪstəm/
Line 3
Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.
Line 4
"Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.
/teɪk ɪt ˈiːzi sʌn sed ˈherɪs ˈsuːðɪŋli/
Line 5
"We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

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.

fretted adjective US /ˈfretɪd/

having frets

From this reading “Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fumed adjective US /fjuːmd/

(of wood) darkened or colored by exposure to ammonia fumes

From this reading “Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Harris noun US /ˈherɪs/

United States author who wrote the stories about Uncle Remus (1848-1908)

From this reading “"Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rapids noun US /ˈræpədz/

plural of “rapid” — a part of a river where the current is very fast

From this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
siding noun US /ˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a short stretch of railroad track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass

From this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soothingly adverb US /ˈsuːðɪŋli/

in a soothing manner

From this reading “"Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
track noun US /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trolley noun US /ˈtrɑːli/

a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity

From this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

Five minutes noun + noun

In this reading “Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.”

25,633 times in 225,867 chapters
pass on verb + particle

place into the hands or custody of

In this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

17,308 times in 225,867 chapters
little way adjective + noun

In this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

11,431 times in 225,867 chapters
wait on verb + particle

work for or be a servant to

In this reading “There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.”

8,653 times in 225,867 chapters
BY THE RIVER preposition + article + noun counted as “by … river”

In this reading “THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.”

4,270 times in 225,867 chapters
on the way preposition + article + noun counted as “on … way”

on a route to some place

In this reading “"We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."”

22,822 times in 225,867 chapters
make much verb + particle

In this reading “"We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."”

3,397 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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 There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
carnounUS /kɑːr/

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

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
differencenounUS /ˈdɪfərəns/

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ferral

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

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

Pending verification
FivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
frettedadjectiveUS /ˈfretɪd/

having frets

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fumedadjectiveUS /fjuːmd/

(of wood) darkened or colored by exposure to ammonia fumes

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GrandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HarrisnounUS /ˈherɪs/

United States author who wrote the stories about Uncle Remus (1848-1908)

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isn't

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

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

Pending verification
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RapidsnounUS /ˈræpədz/

plural of “rapid” — a part of a river where the current is very fast

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RIVERnounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sidingnounUS /ˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a short stretch of railroad track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soothinglyadverbUS /ˈsuːðɪŋli/

in a soothing manner

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Take it easy, son," said Harris soothingly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trolleynounUS /ˈtrɑːli/

a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading There was a wait on a siding, a little way out of town, for another car from Grand Rapids to pass on the single track of the trolley system.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
We're

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

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

Pending verification
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Five minutes were lost, and Ferral fretted and fumed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WOODSnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading THE WOODS BY THE RIVER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "We're on the way, you know, and a little wait like this isn't going to make much of a difference."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck contain?

Chapter 15 holds 126 sentences of Motor Matt's Hard Luck, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 15 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.