Chapter 4 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A FALSE REPORT. "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer. "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly. The lawyer looked interested. "I know Mr. Sylvester," he said.
Chapter 4 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading “A FALSE REPORT.”
a district of Manhattan; now largely a Black ghetto
From this reading “"What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.”
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading “"What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.”
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading “"What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.”
with little or no delay
From this reading “"Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.”
a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
From this reading “"What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.”
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading “A FALSE REPORT.”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “"Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.”
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 “"What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.”
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 FALSE REPORT.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading A FALSE REPORT.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
a man of refinement
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
a district of Manhattan; now largely a Black ghetto
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I know Mr. Sylvester," he said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I know Mr. Sylvester," he said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading The lawyer looked interested.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I know Mr. Sylvester," he said.
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The lawyer looked interested.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
with little or no delay
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading A FALSE REPORT.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I know Mr. Sylvester," he said.
express in words
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Mr. Frank Sylvester," answered Rupert, promptly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What was the name of the gentleman in Harlem from whom you say you obtained the purse?" asked the lawyer.
Chapter 4 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 4 holds 138 sentences of Rupert's Ambition, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 4 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.
