Chapter 8 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately. “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously. “What are you whining about? Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk. We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
Chapter 8 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
in an adequate manner or to an adequate degree
From this reading “It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.”
cause to burst with a violent release of energy
From this reading “It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.”
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading ““You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.”
a craftsman skilled in operating machine tools
From this reading “It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.”
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading “Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.”
plural of “quitter” — a person who gives up too easily
From this reading “We haven’t got any room here for quitters.”
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading ““You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.”
-ing form of “whine” — move with a whining sound
From this reading ““What are you whining about?”
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 ““You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.”
In this reading “We haven’t got any room here for quitters.”
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 It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “What are you whining about?
in an adequate manner or to an adequate degree
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “What are you whining about?
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
cause to burst with a violent release of energy
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
a craftsman skilled in operating machine tools
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
plural of “quitter” — a person who gives up too easily
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading It took a breathing spell before the master mechanic could explode adequately.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We haven’t got any room here for quitters.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What are you whining about?
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
-ing form of “whine” — move with a whining sound
From this reading “What are you whining about?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Every man’s got his shoulder to the wheel and pushing without talk.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “You call yourself a railroad man!” he flung out furiously.
Chapter 8 of On the Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 421 sentences of On the Iron at Big Cloud, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of On the Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 On the Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5491 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 457 minutes of reading across 1099 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On the Iron at Big Cloud section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of On the Iron at Big Cloud 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 the Iron at Big Cloud, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
