Chapter 29 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIX
Chapter 29 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ST. JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER. "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert. "No better than in Rochester. Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
Chapter 29 of Rupert's Ambition is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
the state capital and largest city of Colorado; located in central Colorado on the South Platte river
From this reading “JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.”
put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
From this reading “Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?”
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading “JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.”
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading “JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.”
a city in western New York; a center of the photographic equipment industry
From this reading “"No better than in Rochester.”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “"What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.”
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading “Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?”
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.
a man who is very old
In this reading “Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "No better than in Rochester.
the state capital and largest city of Colorado; located in central Colorado on the South Platte river
From this reading JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.
put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading JAMES HOTEL, IN DENVER.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
a form of address for a man
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
not any; not one
From this reading "No better than in Rochester.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
a city in western New York; a center of the photographic equipment industry
From this reading "No better than in Rochester.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ST.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "No better than in Rochester.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ST.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading Why is it that no one is willing to employ an old man?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What has been your success here, Mr. Plympton?" inquired Rupert.
Chapter 29 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 29 holds 158 sentences of Rupert's Ambition, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 29 of Rupert's Ambition by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 29 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.
