Chapter 12 of Out for Business is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Out for Business is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE. As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street. It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable. The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors. "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
Chapter 12 of Out for Business is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.”
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading “As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.”
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading “It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.”
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading “The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.”
bordered by a line of things
From this reading “It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.”
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading “The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.”
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading “As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.”
a person who sings
From this reading “The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.”
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 “It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.”
In this reading “It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.”
In this reading “The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.”
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 was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
being one more than ten
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
bordered by a line of things
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
not any; not one
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE.
a person who sings
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The house indicated by the singer was no better than its neighbors.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading As the clocks of the city struck eleven Robert and his friend Palmer turned into Lemore street.
not anticipated
From this reading AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a small, narrow street, lined with brick houses, and evidently far from fashionable.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "I wonder which is her room?" murmured Palmer.
Chapter 12 of Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 12 holds 146 sentences of Out for Business, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 12 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 Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4464 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54737 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54737, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 372 minutes of reading across 893 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Out for Business section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Out for Business 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 Out for Business, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
