Chapter 20 of Ready About is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Ready About is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB. "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson. "She is going down the lake." "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time. "There!
Chapter 20 of Ready About is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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 team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading “MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.”
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading “"She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.”
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading “"She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.”
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading “"She is going down the lake."”
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading “"That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.”
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading “MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.”
separate into parts or portions
From this reading “"She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.”
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading “"She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.”
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.
In this reading “"She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.”
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 "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
later than; following
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "She is going down the lake."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
the act of departing
From this reading "She is going down the lake."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "She is going down the lake."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading "She is going down the lake."
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She is going down the lake."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
separate into parts or portions
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MORE MEMBERS OF THE NAUTIFELERS CLUB.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "That's the Marian, without a doubt," said Mr. Jepson.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "She is not headed for Split Rock Point, as she would be if she were going down the lake," added Dory, after they had watched the steamer for some time.
Chapter 20 of Ready About by Oliver Optic holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 20 holds 110 sentences of Ready About, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Ready About by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 20 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 Ready About by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3382 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55557, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 677 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ready About section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Ready About 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 Ready About, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
