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Taking Chances
Taking Chances

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Taking Chances is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Taking Chances
Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.
’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’
"’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.
I know I’ve got you beat.
I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Taking Chances

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Taking Chances is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.
Line 2
’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’
Line 3
"’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.
Line 4
I know I’ve got you beat.
Line 5
I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

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.

bet verb US /bet/

maintain with or as if with a bet

From this reading “I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.”

calmly adverb US /ˈkɑːmli/

with self-possession (especially in times of stress)

From this reading “I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.”

center noun US /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading “I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.”

estate noun US /ɪˈsteɪt/

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading “"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.”

Skate noun US /skeɪt/

sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

From this reading “"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.”

soaked adjective US /soʊkt/

very drunk

From this reading “I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.”

ticker noun US /ˈtɪkər/

the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

From this reading “’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’”

valuation noun US /væljuːˈeɪʃən/

an appraisal of the value of something

From this reading “’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

real estate adjective + noun

property consisting of houses and land

In this reading “"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.”

bank president noun + noun

In this reading “"’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

300

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

banknounUS /bæŋk/

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

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading I know I’ve got you beat.

betverbUS /bet/

maintain with or as if with a bet

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

calmlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːmli/

with self-possession (especially in times of stress)

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

corduroysnoun

cotton trousers made of corduroy cloth

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

Dog-gone

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

estatenounUS /ɪˈsteɪt/

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I know I’ve got you beat.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

I'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

I've

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I know I’ve got you beat.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

interruptedadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/

discontinued temporarily

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I know I’ve got you beat.

lucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

presidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

RaiseverbUS /reɪz/

raise the level or amount of something

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

RushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

SkatenounUS /skeɪt/

sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

soakedadjectiveUS /soʊkt/

very drunk

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

tickernounUS /ˈtɪkər/

the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

valuationnounUS /væljuːˈeɪʃən/

an appraisal of the value of something

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "’Dog-gone the luck,’ said the bank president, ’I don’t want to call you.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

willingadjectiveUS /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

From this reading I’d be willing to bet my corduroys, shoes and hat that I’ve got you soaked, for’—— "’Rush ’em to the center, then,’ calmly replied the real estate man.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading "’Well,’ replied the bank president, ’this watch is worth $300 and’—— "’Skate it in,’ interrupted the real estate man.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ’Raise you $300 then, your valuation of the ticker.’

Chapter 10 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 10 of Taking Chances contain?

Chapter 10 holds 386 sentences of Taking Chances, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 10 of Taking Chances?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Taking Chances

Common questions about reading Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Taking Chances?

Yes. All 4035 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37477 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Taking Chances is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37477, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Taking Chances take to read?

About 336 minutes of reading across 807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Taking Chances section by section

How to work through Taking Chances section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Taking Chances to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Taking Chances

Words and structures a reader meets early in Taking Chances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ex-tanks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introductory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.