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The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life
The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.
CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.
"I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.
There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."
"Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.
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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 Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.
/ðə ˈɡoʊldsmɪθ ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ koʊ/
Line 2
CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.
/ˈkliːvlənd meɪd ɪn juː es ə/
Line 3
"I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.
Line 4
There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."
/ðer wɪl biː ʃʊr tuː biː sʌm ʌv ðə oʊld ˈfeloʊz ɑːn ɪt ənd pərˈhæps sʌm nuː wʌnz/
Line 5
"Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.
/jes fɔːr aɪ hɜːrd ðə ˈdɑːktər tel bʌk tuː hæv ðə koʊtʃ ənd ˈhɔːrsəz ˈredi æz hiː ɪkˈspektəd ˈsevrəl ʌv ðə jʌŋ ˈdʒentəlmɪn tuː kʌm ɑːn ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn treɪn/

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.

Buck verb US /bʌk/

to strive with determination

From this reading “"Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.”

cleveland noun US /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading “CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.”

coach verb US /koʊtʃ/

teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports

From this reading “"Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.”

fellows noun US /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading “There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."”

goldsmith noun US /ˈɡoʊldsmɪθ/

an artisan who makes jewelry and other objects out of gold

From this reading “THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.”

ones noun US /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading “There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."”

publishing noun US /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading “THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.”

train verb US /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading “"I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

BuckverbUS /bʌk/

to strive with determination

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

CLEVELANDnounUS /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.

coachverbUS /koʊtʃ/

teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

gentlemennounUS /ˈdʒentəlmɪn/

plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

GOLDSMITHnounUS /ˈɡoʊldsmɪθ/

an artisan who makes jewelry and other objects out of gold

From this reading THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

let's

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

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

MADEadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

PUBLISHINGnounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading "I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train.

UnounUS /juː/

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading "Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train.

Chapter 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life by Cyril Burleigh holds 100 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 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life contain?

Chapter 1 holds 100 sentences of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life by Cyril Burleigh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 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 1 of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life?

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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life

Common questions about reading The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life by Cyril Burleigh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life?

Yes. All 2420 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27751 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27751, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life take to read?

About 201 minutes of reading across 484 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life section by section

How to work through The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Goldsmith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Publishing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cleveland
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Let's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hilltop Boys: A Story of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.