Chapter 28 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?" "Yes, sir." "This is the office of the general superintendent. He wishes to see you immediately." "I will report at once."
Chapter 28 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
United States film actor; son of Douglas Elton Fairbanks, (1909-2000)
From this reading “THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading “He wishes to see you immediately."”
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading “"This is the office of the general superintendent.”
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading “"I will report at once."”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"”
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading “"This is the office of the general superintendent.”
trying something to find out about it
From this reading “THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"”
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading “He wishes to see you immediately."”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “"I will report at once."”
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I will report at once."
United States film actor; son of Douglas Elton Fairbanks, (1909-2000)
From this reading THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I will report at once."
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
on one occasion
From this reading "I will report at once."
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading "I will report at once."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
term of address for a man
From this reading "Yes, sir."
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
trying something to find out about it
From this reading THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE "TEST" SPECIAL "Mr. Fairbanks?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is the office of the general superintendent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "I will report at once."
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, sir."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He wishes to see you immediately."
Chapter 28 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 28 holds 120 sentences of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 28 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, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3993 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38969 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38969, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 332 minutes of reading across 799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ralph, the Train Dispatcher section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher 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, the Train Dispatcher, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
