Chapter 14 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom. The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words. He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city. "It's a strike, is it?" inquired Ralph. "Worse than a strike," replied Griscom.
Chapter 14 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading “The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.”
a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations
From this reading “A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.”
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading “He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.”
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading “The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.”
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading “A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.”
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading “He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.”
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading “He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.”
a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
From this reading “The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.”
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 A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
eagerly desirous
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "It's a strike, is it?" inquired Ralph.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It's a strike, is it?" inquired Ralph.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It's a strike, is it?" inquired Ralph.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
and nothing more
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
a boy or man
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Worse than a strike," replied Griscom.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading A RAILROAD STRIKE "It's a bad outlook, lad," said old John Griscom.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Worse than a strike," replied Griscom.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading "Worse than a strike," replied Griscom.
Chapter 14 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman holds 144 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.
Chapter 14 holds 144 sentences of Ralph on the Engine, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 144 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3777 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28292, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 314 minutes of reading across 756 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ralph on the Engine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of Ralph on the Engine 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 Ralph on the Engine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
