Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper. "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned. "Quiet! No noise!" cautioned the professor. "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading “"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.”
past form of “caution” — warn strongly; put on guard
From this reading “No noise!" cautioned the professor.”
a river that rises in western New Mexico and flows westward through southern Arizona to become a tributary of the Colorado River
From this reading “"Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.”
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading “A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.”
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading “"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.”
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading “A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.”
plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading “A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.”
an example regarded as typical of its class
From this reading “"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.”
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 “A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.”
In this reading “"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.”
In this reading “"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.”
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 NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
past form of “caution” — warn strongly; put on guard
From this reading No noise!" cautioned the professor.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
a river that rises in western New Mexico and flows westward through southern Arizona to become a tributary of the Colorado River
From this reading "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
not any; not one
From this reading No noise!" cautioned the professor.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading No noise!" cautioned the professor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Or a Gila monster?" inquired Ned.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading No noise!" cautioned the professor.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "Quiet!
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
an example regarded as typical of its class
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No noise!" cautioned the professor.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading A NEST OF SERPENTS "What is it; a rattlesnake?" asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading "I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation.
Chapter 3 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains by Clarence Young holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 128 sentences of The Motor Boys Across the Plains, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 Across the Plains by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3455 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43509 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43509, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 287 minutes of reading across 691 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys Across the Plains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Motor Boys Across the Plains 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 Across the Plains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
