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Ralph in the Switch Tower
Ralph in the Switch Tower

Chapter XIII · Squaring Things

Chapter XIII of Ralph in the Switch Tower, “Squaring Things,” is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ralph in the Switch Tower
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.
He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.
He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.
He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.
Ralph found the front door locked.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ralph in the Switch Tower

Chapter XIII · Squaring Things

Chapter XIII of Ralph in the Switch Tower, “Squaring Things,” is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.
Line 2
He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.
/hiː ˈstɑːrtɪd fɔːr hoʊm hɪz wɜːrk θruː wɪð fɔːr ðə deɪ ˈfiːlɪŋ ðæt laɪf wɑːz ˈveri mʌtʃ wɜːrθ ˈlɪvɪŋ/
Line 3
He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.
/hiː lɔːst noʊ taɪm ɑːn ðɪs əˈspeʃəl əˈkeɪʒən ɪn ˈriːtʃɪŋ ðə hoʊm ˈkɑːtədʒ/
Line 4
He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.
/hiː ˈwɔːntɪd tuː ʃer hɪz ˈpleʒər wɪð hɪz dɪˈvoʊtɪd ˈmʌðər/
Line 5
Ralph found the front door locked.

Learner Dictionary

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.

devoted adjective US /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

zealous in devotion or affection

From this reading “He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.”

especial adjective US /əˈspeʃəl/

surpassing what is common or usual or expected

From this reading “He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.”

locked verb US /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading “Ralph found the front door locked.”

Northern adjective US /ˈnɔːrðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading “Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.”

praise noun US /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading “Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.”

reaching noun US /ˈriːtʃɪŋ/

the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

From this reading “He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.”

superintendent noun US /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/

a person who directs and manages an organization

From this reading “Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.”

tremendously adverb US /trəˈmendəsli/

extremely

From this reading “Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

front door noun + noun

exterior door (at the entrance) at the front of a building

In this reading “Ralph found the front door locked.”

worth living noun + noun

In this reading “He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.”

started for verb + particle counted as “start for”

In this reading “He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.”

All words in this reading · 47

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.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

devotedadjectiveUS /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

zealous in devotion or affection

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Ralph found the front door locked.

especialadjectiveUS /əˈspeʃəl/

surpassing what is common or usual or expected

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Ralph found the front door locked.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading Ralph found the front door locked.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

lockedverbUS /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading Ralph found the front door locked.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

NorthernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

Ralph

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

reachingnounUS /ˈriːtʃɪŋ/

the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

superintendentnounUS /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/

a person who directs and manages an organization

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

tremendouslyadverbUS /trəˈmendəsli/

extremely

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of the Great Northern.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading He started for home, his work through with for the day, feeling that life was very much worth living.

Chapter 13 of Ralph in the Switch Tower by Allen Chapman holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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.

What does chapter 13 of Ralph in the Switch Tower contain?

Chapter 13 holds 145 sentences of Ralph in the Switch Tower, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Ralph in the Switch Tower by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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.

How do I study chapter 13 of Ralph in the Switch Tower?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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.

Can chapter 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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.

Questions about reading Ralph in the Switch Tower

Common questions about reading Ralph in the Switch Tower by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ralph in the Switch Tower?

Yes. All 4008 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39051 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ralph in the Switch Tower is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39051, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ralph in the Switch Tower take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 802 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ralph in the Switch Tower section by section

How to work through Ralph in the Switch Tower section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Ralph in the Switch Tower to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Ralph in the Switch Tower

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ralph in the Switch Tower, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Knight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ralph in the Switch Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Towerman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ralph in the Switch Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ralph in the Switch Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Northern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ralph in the Switch Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.