Chapter 19 of Rupert's Ambition 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 XIX
Chapter 19 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHAT HAPPENED IN NO. 61. "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk. "You've got a head on your shoulders. We'll soon find out what's the matter."
Chapter 19 of Rupert's Ambition 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.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading “"Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.”
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “We'll soon find out what's the matter."”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “WHAT HAPPENED IN NO.”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “We'll soon find out what's the matter."”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “"Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.”
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading “"You've got a head on your shoulders.”
in the near future
From this reading “We'll soon find out what's the matter."”
on a floor above
From this reading “"Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.”
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.
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
In this reading “We'll soon find out what's the matter."”
In this reading “"Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 61.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED IN NO.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED IN NO.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
not any; not one
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED IN NO.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
in the near future
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
on a floor above
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED IN NO.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We'll soon find out what's the matter."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Come upstairs with me, Rupert," said Mr. Malcolm, the clerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You've got a head on your shoulders.
Chapter 19 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 19 holds 90 sentences of Rupert's Ambition, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 19 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.
