Chapter 9 of The Motor Boys Afloat is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Motor Boys Afloat is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back. Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity. He pushed forward while his companion hung back. “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones. “Are you spying on us?
Chapter 9 of The Motor Boys Afloat is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading “Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.”
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading “A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.”
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading “He pushed forward while his companion hung back.”
keeping a secret or furtive watch
From this reading ““Are you spying on us?”
trying something to find out about it
From this reading “A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.”
fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions
From this reading “Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading ““What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.”
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading “Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.”
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.
push one's way
In this reading “He pushed forward while his companion hung back.”
In this reading ““What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.”
retrace one's course
In this reading “A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.”
to lag or linger behind
In this reading “He pushed forward while his companion hung back.”
In this reading “A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn 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 TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are you spying on us?
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
not any; not one
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Are you spying on us?
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
move hurridly
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
keeping a secret or furtive watch
From this reading “Are you spying on us?
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
trying something to find out about it
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading A TEST OF SPEED At the sight of the motor boys, Noddy started and seemed to turn back.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Are you spying on us?
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bill Berry, however, was troubled by no such timidity.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
during the time that
From this reading He pushed forward while his companion hung back.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What do you fellows want here?” asked Bill in no gentle tones.
Chapter 9 of The Motor Boys Afloat by Clarence Young holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 9 holds 121 sentences of The Motor Boys Afloat, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Motor Boys Afloat by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 9 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 Afloat by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3627 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44788 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44788, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 302 minutes of reading across 726 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys Afloat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Motor Boys Afloat 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 Afloat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
