Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Reverse is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 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 Reverse is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MURGATROYD'S FIRST MOVE. Motor Matt was a keen reader of character. At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less. "I am Motor Matt," said he. "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Reverse is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading “"Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"”
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading “At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.”
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading “"Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"”
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading “Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.”
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading “Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.”
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading “Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.”
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading “"Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"”
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading “Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.”
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.
In this reading “At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.”
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 Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am Motor Matt," said he.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading MURGATROYD'S FIRST MOVE.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
cause to move by striking
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am Motor Matt," said he.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading MURGATROYD'S FIRST MOVE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MURGATROYD'S FIRST MOVE.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am Motor Matt," said he.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Sho," muttered the horseman; "hit it first clatter out o' the box, didn't I?"
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Motor Matt was a keen reader of character.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading At first glance, and from a distance, he had not liked Hackberry's appearance any too well; and now, at closer view, he liked it less.
Chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Reverse by Stanley R. Matthews holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 137 sentences of Motor Matt's Reverse, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Motor Matt's Reverse by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 Reverse by Stanley R. Matthews on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2166 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51343 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51343, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 180 minutes of reading across 434 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Motor Matt's Reverse section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Motor Matt's Reverse 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 Reverse, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
