Chapter 3 of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis. "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other. We're done for, this time. I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you. You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
Chapter 3 of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.”
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading “"There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.”
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading “"There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.”
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.”
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading “I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.”
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading “A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.”
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.”
a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
From this reading “"There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.”
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 “"There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.”
get involved in or with
In this reading “You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."”
In this reading “You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."”
In this reading “You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."”
In this reading “"There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.”
In this reading “I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.”
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 A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
later than; following
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading We're done for, this time.
at any time
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
a boy or man
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We're done for, this time.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
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 You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
not any; not one
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading We're done for, this time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
a source of difficulty
From this reading You can get into more trouble than any other fellow I ever knew."
a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
up to a particular time
From this reading "There isn't a ghost of a chance of our getting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other.
the act of using
From this reading A SURPRISED SKIPPER "NO use!" groaned Jarvis.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We're done for, this time.
in or at the place that
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong, instead of following along after you.
Chapter 3 of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats by James R. Mears holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 3 holds 205 sentences of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats by James R. Mears exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 3 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 Iron Boys on the Ore Boats by James R. Mears on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3982 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40067 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40067, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 331 minutes of reading across 797 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats 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 Iron Boys on the Ore Boats, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
