Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MARKING OUT A COURSE. "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room. "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard." "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit. He's worn out.
Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading “"Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.”
approval
From this reading “"He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.”
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading “"He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."”
held up in the air
From this reading “"Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.”
a distinguishing symbol
From this reading “MARKING OUT A COURSE.”
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading “"Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.”
with low volume
From this reading “"He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.”
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading “He's worn out.”
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.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
In this reading “He's worn out.”
In this reading “"He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."”
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 MARKING OUT A COURSE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
used affectionately to refer to an eccentric but amusing old man
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading MARKING OUT A COURSE.
approval
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
held up in the air
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
a distinguishing symbol
From this reading MARKING OUT A COURSE.
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading MARKING OUT A COURSE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
with low volume
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Poor old codger!" exclaimed McGlory, as he and Matt lifted the clerk and carried him to the bed in the other room.
a source of difficulty
From this reading "He's had more trouble than he could dodge, pard."
make an effort or attempt
From this reading "He didn't try to dodge it, Joe," answered Matt quietly, "and that's to his credit.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading He's worn out.
Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break by Stanley R. Matthews holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 5 holds 123 sentences of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Make-and-Break by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 5 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 Motor Matt's Make-and-Break by Stanley R. Matthews on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2219 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52025 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52025, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 184 minutes of reading across 444 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Motor Matt's Make-and-Break section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Motor Matt's Make-and-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 Motor Matt's Make-and-Break, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
