The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George A. Warren • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

So he whispered to his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with the situation.

Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XX Reading 1/36

The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air George A. Warren

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes. When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace. As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in. So he whispered to his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with the situation. Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

/ˈbætəl ɪn ðə skaɪ waɪl ðoʊz ɑːn ðə ɡraʊnd wɜːr soʊ ˈɑːkjəpaɪd wɪð ðə faɪt ðeɪ dɪd nɑːt ˈnoʊtəs ə ˈbætəl ˈɡoʊɪŋ ɑːn əˈbʌv ðer hedz ə ˈbætəl bɪˈtwiːn tuː pleɪnz/

Line 2

When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

/wen ðə pleɪn ˈlændəd wɪð ðə ˈsmʌɡlərz dʒæk wɑːz wɪð pɔːl ənd ˈwɔːləs/

Line 3

As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

/æz suːn æz ðə fɜːrst ʃɑːt wɑːz ˈfaɪərd hɪz fɜːrst θɔːt wɑːz ðæt ðə krʊks maɪt juːs ðə pleɪn tuː ɪˈskeɪp ɪn/

Line 4

Line 5

Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

/pɔːl θɔːt ɪt wɑːz æn ˈeksələnt aɪˈdiːə ənd hiː pərˈmɪtɪd dʒæk tuː ˈkæri aʊt hɪz plæn/

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.

crooks noun US /krʊks/

plural of “crook” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.”

gang noun US /ɡæŋ/

an association of criminals

From this reading “So he whispered to his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with the situation.”

landed adjective US /ˈlændəd/

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading “When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.”

plane noun US /pleɪn/

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading “When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.”

planes noun US /pleɪnz/

plural of “plane” — an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading “BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.”

smugglers noun US /ˈsmʌɡlərz/

plural of “smuggler” — someone who imports or exports without paying duties

From this reading “When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.”

spy verb US /spaɪ/

catch sight of

Wallace noun US /ˈwɔːləs/

Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)

From this reading “When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.”

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.

excellent idea adjective + noun

In this reading “Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.”

on the ground preposition + article + noun counted as “on … ground”

In this reading “BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.”

carry out verb + adjective

put in effect

In this reading “Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.”

between two preposition + noun

In this reading “BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.”

first shot adjective + noun

In this reading “As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.”

two companions noun + noun counted as “two companion”

In this reading “So he whispered to his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with the situation.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading So he whispered to his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with the situation.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

BATTLEnounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

becomingadjectiveUS /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/

according with custom or propriety

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

crooksnounUS /krʊks/

plural of “crook” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

excellentadjectiveUS /ˈeksələnt/

very good; of the highest quality

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

gangnounUS /ɡæŋ/

an association of criminals

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

landedadjectiveUS /ˈlændəd/

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

others

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

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

PaulnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

permittedverbUS /pərˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “permit” — consent to, give permission

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted Jack to carry out his plan.

planenounUS /pleɪn/

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

planesnounUS /pleɪnz/

plural of “plane” — an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

SKYnounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

smugglersnounUS /ˈsmʌɡlərz/

plural of “smuggler” — someone who imports or exports without paying duties

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

spyverbUS /spaɪ/

catch sight of

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was that the crooks might use the plane to escape in.

WallacenounUS /ˈwɔːləs/

Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and Wallace.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading BATTLE IN THE SKY While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Chapter 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air by George A. Warren holds 181 sentences, grouped into 37 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 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air contain?

Chapter 20 holds 181 sentences of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air by George A. Warren exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 181 sentences, grouped into 37 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 20 of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.

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Yes. All 4141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52394 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #52394, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 345 minutes of reading across 829 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air

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