Chapter 10 of The Firebug is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Firebug is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN ZOOK “Who are you?” Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man. “Ben Zook’s my name. What might be yours?” “Johnny Thompson.”
Chapter 10 of The Firebug is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “BEN ZOOK “Who are you?””
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.”
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading ““Ben Zook’s my name.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.”
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading “Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.”
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.”
United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)
From this reading ““Johnny Thompson.””
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading “What might be yours?””
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.
In this reading “Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading BEN ZOOK “Who are you?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading What might be yours?”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN ZOOK “Who are you?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading What might be yours?”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Ben Zook’s my name.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Ben Zook’s my name.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Johnny asked as he sat staring at this strange little man.
United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)
From this reading “Johnny Thompson.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What might be yours?”
which person or people
From this reading BEN ZOOK “Who are you?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading BEN ZOOK “Who are you?”
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading What might be yours?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BEN ZOOK “Who are you?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ben Zook’s my name.
Chapter 10 of The Firebug by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 10 holds 135 sentences of The Firebug, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Firebug by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Firebug by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3370 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42755 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42755, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 280 minutes of reading across 674 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Firebug section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Firebug 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 Firebug, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
