Chapter 8 of Now or Never is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Now or Never is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH MR. TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET. It was Mr. Bayard. He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it. "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
Chapter 8 of Now or Never 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
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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.”
French soldier said to be fearless and chivalrous (1473-1524)
From this reading “It was Mr. Bayard.”
an informal term for a British policeman
From this reading “TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.”
(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color
From this reading “TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.”
third-person singular of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading “TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.”
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading “He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.”
a young dog
From this reading “"This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.”
disorderly fighting
From this reading “He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.”
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.
Having no one else present.
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
French soldier said to be fearless and chivalrous (1473-1524)
From this reading It was Mr. Bayard.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
an informal term for a British policeman
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
third-person singular of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
a man of refinement
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
marked by casual disrespect
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH MR.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Mr. Bayard.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
a form of address for a man
From this reading IN WHICH MR.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
a young dog
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
disorderly fighting
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TIMMINS IS ASTONISHED, AND BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Mr. Bayard.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH MR.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had finished his business with the gentleman by his side, and hearing the noise of the scuffle, had come to learn the occasion of it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "This impudent young puppy wouldn't let the books alone!" began Mr. Timmins.
Chapter 8 of Now or Never by Oliver Optic 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.
Chapter 8 holds 126 sentences of Now or Never, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Now or Never by Oliver Optic 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.
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.
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.
Common questions about reading Now or Never by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2766 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14762 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14762, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 230 minutes of reading across 554 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Now or Never section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Now or Never 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 Now or Never, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
