Chapter 31 of Sink or Swim is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of Sink or Swim is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE DEATH OF BUSH. “Where is the nugget? What did you do with it?” inquired Harry. “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush. “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
Chapter 31 of Sink or Swim is here in full — 137 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.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading ““I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.”
placed in a grave
From this reading ““I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.”
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “THE DEATH OF BUSH.”
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading ““I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.”
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading “What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.”
a solid lump of a precious metal (especially gold) as found in the earth
From this reading ““Where is the nugget?”
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading ““I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.”
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.
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.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
placed in a grave
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading THE DEATH OF BUSH.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading THE DEATH OF BUSH.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
set up or found
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Where is the nugget?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
a solid lump of a precious metal (especially gold) as found in the earth
From this reading “Where is the nugget?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE DEATH OF BUSH.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “I buried it in the spot where I found it,” said Bush.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DEATH OF BUSH.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I didn’t dare to bring it here in open day.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Where is the nugget?
in the company of; together with
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What did you do with it?” inquired Harry.
Chapter 31 of Sink or Swim by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 137 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 31 holds 137 sentences of Sink or Swim, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Sink or Swim by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 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 31 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 Sink or Swim by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4592 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 382 minutes of reading across 919 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sink or Swim section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of Sink or Swim 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 Sink or Swim, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
