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The Heroes of the School
The Heroes of the School

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Heroes of the School is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Allen Chapman • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Heroes of the School
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.
"We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.
"Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."
"That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.
"How did you happen to think of it?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Heroes of the School

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Heroes of the School is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.
Line 2
"We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.
Line 3
"Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."
Line 4
"That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.
/ðæt kaʊ wɑːz ðə ˈlɪmət spoʊk bɑːrt/
Line 5
"How did you happen to think of it?"

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.

Bart noun US /bɑːrt/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading “"That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chums noun US /tʃʌmz/

plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading “FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dock noun US /dɑːk/

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading “FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frank's noun US /fræŋks/

possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

From this reading “FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Friday noun US /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading “"We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
limit noun US /ˈlɪmət/

the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading “"That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strenuous adjective US /ˈstrenjuːəs/

characterized by or performed with much energy or force

From this reading “"We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vacation noun US /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading “FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

three chums noun + noun counted as “three chum”

In this reading “FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.”

256 times in 225,867 chapters
last day adjective + noun

(New Testament) day at the end of time following Armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual humans according to the good and evil of their earthly lives

In this reading “"Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."”

5,890 times in 225,867 chapters
think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “"We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.”

152,298 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 62

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 "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BartnounUS /bɑːrt/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading "That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chumsnounUS /tʃʌmz/

plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cownounUS /kaʊ/

female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading "That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "How did you happen to think of it?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
docknounUS /dɑːk/

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FRANK'SnounUS /fræŋks/

possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading "How did you happen to think of it?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haven't

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

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Pending verification
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
How

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

From this reading "How did you happen to think of it?"

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "How did you happen to think of it?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/

the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading "That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ned

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Pending verification
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
QUEERadjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading "That cow was the limit," spoke Bart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strenuousadjectiveUS /ˈstrenjuːəs/

characterized by or performed with much energy or force

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "We had such a strenuous time Friday I haven't been able to think of anything since," said Frank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading FRANK'S QUEER LETTER "What are we going to do this vacation?" asked Ned of his three chums, as they assembled the next Monday morning at the boat dock where they had agreed to meet.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Say that was the best last day yet, thanks to you, Ned."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 12 of The Heroes of the School by Allen Chapman holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 12 of The Heroes of the School contain?

Chapter 12 holds 97 sentences of The Heroes of the School, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Heroes of the School by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 12 of The Heroes of the School?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 The Heroes of the School

Common questions about reading The Heroes of the School by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Heroes of the School?

Yes. All 3421 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37291 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Heroes of the School is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37291, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Heroes of the School take to read?

About 285 minutes of reading across 685 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Heroes of the School section by section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Heroes of the School

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Heroes of the School, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Darewell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heroes of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chums
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heroes of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heroes of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thick
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heroes of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.