Chapter 12 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED. That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them. As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost. “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob. “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
Chapter 12 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
someone who bakes commercially
From this reading ““To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.”
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading “That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.”
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.”
past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading “That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.”
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading “That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.”
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.”
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading “That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.”
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading “As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.”
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.
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 “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
someone who bakes commercially
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.
the two together, not just one
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MACHINES FOR BOB AND NED.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
express in words
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “I’m a little afraid of those machines.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
precisely as stated
From this reading That night two very earnest lads implored two fathers to purchase motor-cycles for them.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As Bob and Ned were both sons of well-to-do parents the matter was not much one of cost.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “To tell you the truth,” said Mr. Baker to Bob.
Chapter 12 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 12 holds 112 sentences of The Motor Boys, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 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.
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.
