Chapter 6 of On Our Selection is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of On Our Selection is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Cranky Jack. It was early in the day. Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut. One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in. He asked Dad for a job.
Chapter 6 of On Our Selection is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 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.
(used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail
From this reading “Cranky Jack.”
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “He asked Dad for a job.”
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading “One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.”
temporary military shelter
From this reading “Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.”
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
From this reading “One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.”
building material used as siding or roofing
From this reading “Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.”
a person who changes location
From this reading “Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.”
-ing form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading “Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.”
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 He asked Dad for a job.
later than; following
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading He asked Dad for a job.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
(used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail
From this reading Cranky Jack.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading He asked Dad for a job.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was early in the day.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was early in the day.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He asked Dad for a job.
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He asked Dad for a job.
temporary military shelter
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was early in the day.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was early in the day.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Cranky Jack.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading He asked Dad for a job.
not any; not one
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
building material used as siding or roofing
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
valuable goods
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was early in the day.
a person who changes location
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
-ing form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading Traveller after traveller was trudging by Shingle Hut.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was early in the day.
which person or people
From this reading One who carried no swag halted at the rails and came in.
Chapter 6 of On Our Selection by Steele Rudd holds 259 sentences, grouped into 52 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 6 holds 259 sentences of On Our Selection, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of On Our Selection by Steele Rudd exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 259 sentences, grouped into 52 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 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 52 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 6 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 On Our Selection by Steele Rudd on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3170 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3677, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 264 minutes of reading across 634 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On Our Selection section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of On Our Selection 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 On Our Selection, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
