Chapter 10 of Plane and Plank is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Plane and Plank is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE. Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me. He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him. "Now, my lad, I'm ready. I'm refreshed.
Chapter 10 of Plane and Plank is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
From this reading “Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.”
making a strong or vivid impression
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.”
deliver a lecture or talk
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.”
third-person singular of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.”
with restored energy
From this reading “I'm refreshed.”
the trait of avoiding excesses
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.”
a gymnast who performs rolls and somersaults and twists etc.
From this reading “He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.”
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading “He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.”
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 “He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.”
In this reading “He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.”
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 IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now, my lad, I'm ready.
making a strong or vivid impression
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
a boy or man
From this reading "Now, my lad, I'm ready.
deliver a lecture or talk
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
third-person singular of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Now, my lad, I'm ready.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, my lad, I'm ready.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading "Now, my lad, I'm ready.
with restored energy
From this reading I'm refreshed.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
the trait of avoiding excesses
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
a gymnast who performs rolls and somersaults and twists etc.
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
precisely as stated
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
at the time that
From this reading Farringford was very chipper when he returned to me.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERANCE LECTURE.
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading He had drank half a tumbler of whiskey, and appeared to be prepared, to his own satisfaction, for any business which might be presented to him.
Chapter 10 of Plane and Plank by Oliver Optic holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 10 holds 153 sentences of Plane and Plank, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Plane and Plank by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 10 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 Plane and Plank by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3859 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44950 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44950, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 321 minutes of reading across 772 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Plane and Plank section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Plane and Plank 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 Plane and Plank, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
