Chapter 13 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A WILD NIGHT RIDE. “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?” “You mean on our machines?” “Sure. Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
Chapter 13 of The Motor Boys is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
a colorless flammable gas used chiefly in welding and in organic synthesis
From this reading “Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.”
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading ““I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?””
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading ““I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?””
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading “Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.”
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading ““I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?””
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.”
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 ““You mean on our machines?””
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading “A WILD NIGHT RIDE.”
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.
a lamp that burns illuminating gas
In this reading “Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.”
at or in the front
In this reading ““I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?””
In this reading “Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.”
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 WILD NIGHT RIDE.
a colorless flammable gas used chiefly in welding and in organic synthesis
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
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 “You mean on our machines?”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “You mean on our machines?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A WILD NIGHT RIDE.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “You mean on our machines?”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “You mean on our machines?”
above and across; more than
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading A WILD NIGHT RIDE.
express in words
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Sure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Let’s get acetylene gas lamps, that give a good light, and ride over to Fallsburg and back.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading A WILD NIGHT RIDE.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I say, Jerry,” began Bob, dismounting from his motor-cycle one afternoon in front of his chum’s house, “what do you say to a night ride?”
Chapter 13 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 13 holds 142 sentences of The Motor Boys, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Motor Boys by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 13 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.
