Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MEAN PLOT. “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think! Wonder what makes him so mean?” “Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned. “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading ““Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
brought into existence
From this reading ““Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned.”
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading ““Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned.”
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading “A MEAN PLOT.”
continue talking
From this reading ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
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 ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
In this reading ““Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!”
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 MEAN PLOT.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
brought into existence
From this reading “Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned.
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading “Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Wonder what makes him so mean?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading Wonder what makes him so mean?”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading A MEAN PLOT.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
above and across; more than
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading A MEAN PLOT.
continue talking
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Wonder what makes him so mean?”
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
(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 “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Wonder what makes him so mean?”
at the time that
From this reading “Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close friend, I don’t think!
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Wonder what makes him so mean?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Any one else would have laughed over such an accident.
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 86 sentences of The Motor Boys, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 Motor Boys by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3765 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42461 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42461, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 313 minutes of reading across 753 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Motor Boys 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 Motor Boys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
