Chapter 2 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OUT OF WORK. On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store. "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon. "It is a shame you are discharged." "No, it is not a shame.
Chapter 2 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
used as intensifiers
From this reading “"I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.”
back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried
From this reading “"I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.”
having lost your job
From this reading “"It is a shame you are discharged."”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
possessive form of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
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 “"I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.”
In this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
In this reading “On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.”
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 "It is a shame you are discharged."
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
used as intensifiers
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
having lost your job
From this reading "It is a shame you are discharged."
the act of departing
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is a shame you are discharged."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is a shame you are discharged."
immediately past
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, it is not a shame.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No, it is not a shame.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading OUT OF WORK.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading OUT OF WORK.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading "It is a shame you are discharged."
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
possessive form of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading On Saturday Rupert received his last week's wages at the store.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading OUT OF WORK.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I am awfully sorry you are going, Rupert," said Harry Bacon.
Chapter 2 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 2 holds 171 sentences of Rupert's Ambition, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 2 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 Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5178 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54621 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54621, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 431 minutes of reading across 1036 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rupert's Ambition section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Rupert's Ambition 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 Rupert's Ambition, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
