Chapter 34 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIV
Chapter 34 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck. "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?" It was close on mid-day. Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest. His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
Chapter 34 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
past form of “browse” — shop around; not necessarily buying
From this reading “His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.”
plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.”
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading “"Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"”
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading “His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.”
-ing form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading “His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.”
the state of being asleep
From this reading “His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.”
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.”
a journey by ox wagon (especially an organized migration by a group of settlers)
From this reading “His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.”
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 “EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.”
In this reading “Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.”
get involved in or with
In this reading “"Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
past form of “browse” — shop around; not necessarily buying
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was close on mid-day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.
one or the other of two
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
rapid and indistinct speech
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
the force of workers available
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was close on mid-day.
characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was close on mid-day.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
by chance
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
-ing form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
the state of being asleep
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
express in words
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
a journey by ox wagon (especially an organized migration by a group of settlers)
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was close on mid-day.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
during the time that
From this reading His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES "NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck.
Chapter 34 of Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 34 holds 150 sentences of Sinclair's luck, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 34 of Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 34 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 Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3536 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72673 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72673, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 294 minutes of reading across 708 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sinclair's luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Sinclair's luck 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 Sinclair's luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
