Chapter 27 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph. "Quick, men. Do you see ahead there?" Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering. It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
Chapter 27 of Ralph on the Engine is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading “It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.”
mix together different elements
From this reading “Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.”
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading “A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.”
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
From this reading “Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.”
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.”
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading “Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.”
being ten more than fifty
From this reading “It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.”
move hurridly
From this reading “It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.”
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 NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
at or in the front
From this reading Do you see ahead there?"
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do you see ahead there?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
mix together different elements
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
the force of workers available
From this reading "Quick, men.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading "Quick, men.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Do you see ahead there?"
in a vehement outcry
From this reading A NEW MYSTERY "Danger," shouted Ralph.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
being ten more than fifty
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
move hurridly
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Do you see ahead there?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
create by training and teaching
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Down the rails a red signal fuse was spluttering.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was quite a distance away, but they would reach it in less than sixty seconds if the present fearful speed of the train was kept up.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Do you see ahead there?"
Chapter 27 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 27 holds 90 sentences of Ralph on the Engine, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of Ralph on the Engine by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 27 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.
