Chapter 15 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise. "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry. "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here." "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry. "Go ahead and drop down."
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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 round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading “"What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.”
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading “"What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.”
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."”
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading “"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."”
hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading “"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."”
vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
From this reading “TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.”
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading “"It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.”
in a sleepy manner
From this reading “"What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.”
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 “"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."”
proceed (with a plan of action)
In this reading “"Go ahead and drop down."”
fall or descend to a lower place or level
In this reading “"Go ahead and drop down."”
In this reading “TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.”
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 TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
at or in the front
From this reading "Go ahead and drop down."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
let fall to the ground
From this reading "Go ahead and drop down."
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go ahead and drop down."
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
move upward
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading "It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry.
in a sleepy manner
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
a source of difficulty
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
which person or people
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
in the company of; together with
From this reading TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN "This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains by Clarence Young holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 15 holds 148 sentences of The Motor Boys Across the Plains, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Motor Boys Across the Plains by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 15 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.
