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The Lightning Conductor Discovers America
The Lightning Conductor Discovers America

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Lightning Conductor Discovers America
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.
Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!
You see how things are shaping themselves.
I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!
Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Lightning Conductor Discovers America

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.
Line 2
Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!
Line 3
You see how things are shaping themselves.
Line 4
I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!
/aɪ hoʊp ɪt meɪks juː lʊk ˈfɔːrwərd ə ˈlɪtəl ˈlɪtəl bɪt tuː maɪ nekst ˈletər dɪr ɡɜːrl/
Line 5
Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.
/jɔːr əˈfekʃənət ˈæŋkʃəs bʌt ˌɑːptəˈmɪstɪk ˈmɑːli/

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.

affectionate adjective US /əˈfekʃənət/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading “Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.”

developing adjective US /dɪˈveləpɪŋ/

relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply

From this reading “We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.”

molly noun US /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading “Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.”

motor noun US /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading “Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!”

occasional adjective US /əˈkeɪʒənəl/

occurring from time to time

From this reading “We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.”

optimistic adjective US /ˌɑːptəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds

From this reading “Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.”

shaping noun US /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/

any process serving to define the shape of something

From this reading “You see how things are shaping themselves.”

suggestions noun US /səˈdʒestʃənz/

plural of “suggestion” — an idea that is suggested

From this reading “We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

affectionateadjectiveUS /əˈfekʃənət/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

developingadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpɪŋ/

relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

how

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

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

Larry

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

MOLLYnounUS /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading I _hope_ it makes you look forward a little, little bit, to my next letter, dear girl!

occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/

occurring from time to time

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

optimisticadjectiveUS /ˌɑːptəˈmɪstɪk/

expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

SnounUS /es/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

shapingnounUS /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/

any process serving to define the shape of something

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

Shuster

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

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

suggestionsnounUS /səˈdʒestʃənz/

plural of “suggestion” — an idea that is suggested

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

there's

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

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

ThinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

throwingverbUS /ˈθroʊɪŋ/

-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

welladverbUS /wel/

(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 We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading We went on developing our plan, with occasional suggestions from Jack; and we thought we might as well try to kill another bird with the same stone, by throwing it in the direction of Larry and Mrs. S.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see how things are shaping themselves.

youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading Think what it will be for Larry to be engaged to Mrs. Shuster day after day in a motor car, especially if there's a better looking and younger woman on board!

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Your affectionate, anxious, but optimistic MOLLY.

Chapter 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America contain?

Chapter 8 holds 426 sentences of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 8 of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Lightning Conductor Discovers America

Common questions about reading The Lightning Conductor Discovers America by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America?

Yes. All 5800 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29083 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29083, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Lightning Conductor Discovers America take to read?

About 483 minutes of reading across 1160 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Lightning Conductor Discovers America section by section

How to work through The Lightning Conductor Discovers America section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Lightning Conductor Discovers America

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lightning Conductor Discovers America, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

There's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Absolutely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lightning Conductor Discovers America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.