Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon. The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well. Sparling show bills were everywhere. But Phil was thoughtful. He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “Sparling show bills were everywhere.”
plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading “THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.”
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading “THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.”
plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading “He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.”
not able to be found
From this reading “THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.”
plural of “rival” — the contestant you hope to defeat
From this reading “The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.”
common smelt of Europe
From this reading “The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.”
having intellectual depth
From this reading “But Phil was thoughtful.”
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 He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Sparling show bills were everywhere.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Phil was thoughtful.
plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
to or in any or all places
From this reading Sparling show bills were everywhere.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
not able to be found
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Phil was thoughtful.
plural of “rival” — the contestant you hope to defeat
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
common smelt of Europe
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
having intellectual depth
From this reading But Phil was thoughtful.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
(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 The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Sparling show bills were everywhere.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The Sparling crowd had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE MISSING SHOW CARS The work was completed late that afternoon.
but in spite of that
From this reading He did not like the methods he was obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the show business.
Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 17 holds 172 sentences of The Circus Boys on the Plains, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 17 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 Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2478, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 347 minutes of reading across 835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Circus Boys on the Plains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Circus Boys on the Plains 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 Circus Boys on the Plains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
