Chapter 16 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CAR NO. 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned. "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully. "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past." "How did it happen?"
Chapter 16 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 147 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.
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading “"Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."”
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading “9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.”
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading “9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.”
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading “9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.”
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading “"Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."”
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading “"Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."”
a building where people go to eat
From this reading “"Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."”
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading “"Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading CAR NO.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "How did it happen?"
with sadness; in a sorrowful manner
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
come to pass
From this reading "How did it happen?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How did it happen?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How did it happen?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
not any; not one
From this reading CAR NO.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 9176 "Burned out!" exclaimed Ralph, deeply concerned.
a building where people go to eat
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
a special situation
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
a late time of life
From this reading "Labors of years in ashes--Limpy Joe's Railroad Restaurant a thing of the past."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," nodded Joe, a trifle dolefully.
Chapter 16 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman holds 147 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 16 holds 147 sentences of Ralph on the Engine, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 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 16 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.
