Chapter 1 of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TERRIBLE ODDS. "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along. "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically. "And it looks as if we were to see action soon." "Yes, it does look that way."
Chapter 1 of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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.
having companions or an escort
From this reading “"Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.”
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading “"And it looks as if we were to see action soon."”
a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)
From this reading “"Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.”
with enthusiasm; in an enthusiastic manner
From this reading “"Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.”
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading “"Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.”
put a harness
From this reading “"Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.”
the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring
From this reading “TERRIBLE ODDS.”
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading “"Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
having companions or an escort
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Yes, it does look that way."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
with enthusiasm; in an enthusiastic manner
From this reading "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
put a harness
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Yes, it does look that way."
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
the force of workers available
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring
From this reading TERRIBLE ODDS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Great!" replied his friend enthusiastically.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
in the near future
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading TERRIBLE ODDS.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Yes, it does look that way."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Feels pretty good to be back in harness, doesn't it, Hal?" asked Chester, as, accompanied by a small body of men, they rode slowly along.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Yes, it does look that way."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "And it looks as if we were to see action soon."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, it does look that way."
Chapter 1 of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 1 holds 81 sentences of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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 1 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 The Boy Allies on the Firing Line by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3623 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12870 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12870, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 301 minutes of reading across 725 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Boy Allies on the Firing Line section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Boy Allies on the Firing Line 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 The Boy Allies on the Firing Line, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
