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Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck
Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.
"Business, my dear," answered the bank president.
"I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."
"Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.
"No, private business."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.
Line 2
"Business, my dear," answered the bank president.
/ˈbɪznəs maɪ dɪr ˈænsərd ðə bæŋk ˈprezədent/
Line 3
"I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."
/aɪ æm ˈræðər pərˈplekst baɪ ə ˈmætər ʌv ˈbɪznəs/
Line 4
"Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.
/ˈbɪznəs kəˈnektɪd wɪð ðə bæŋk ˈmɪstər ˈdʌŋkən æskt hɪz waɪf/
Line 5
"No, private business."
/noʊ ˈpraɪvət ˈbɪznəs/

Learner Dictionary

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.

connected adjective US /kəˈnektɪd/

being joined in close association

From this reading “"Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Duncan noun US /ˈdʌŋkən/

United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
effecting verb US /ɪˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “effect” — produce

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loan noun US /loʊn/

the temporary provision of money (usually at interest)

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perplexed adjective US /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading “"I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
railroad noun US /ˈreɪlroʊd/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
taciturn adjective US /ˈtæsɪtɜːrn/

habitually reserved and uncommunicative

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unusually adverb US /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading “EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 41

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BusinessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
connectedadjectiveUS /kəˈnektɪd/

being joined in close association

From this reading "Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DuncannounUS /ˈdʌŋkən/

United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
EFFECTINGverbUS /ɪˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “effect” — produce

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inquiredverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LOANnounUS /loʊn/

the temporary provision of money (usually at interest)

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No, private business."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
noticedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəst/

being perceived or observed

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
perplexedadjectiveUS /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading "Business, my dear," answered the bank president.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PrincenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading "No, private business."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading "I am rather perplexed by a matter of business."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
taciturnadjectiveUS /ˈtæsɪtɜːrn/

habitually reserved and uncommunicative

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading EFFECTING A LOAN Prince Duncan was unusually taciturn during the railroad journey--so much so that his wife noticed it, and inquired the reason.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Business connected with the bank, Mr. Duncan?" asked his wife.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

What does chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck contain?

Chapter 18 holds 97 sentences of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

How do I study chapter 18 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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.

Can chapter 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

Questions about reading Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

Common questions about reading Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck?

Yes. All 4051 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5417 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5417, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck take to read?

About 337 minutes of reading across 811 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck section by section

How to work through Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

Words and structures a reader meets early in Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Harper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Noble
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wholly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disinterested
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.