Chapter 17 of The Motor Boys in Mexico is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Motor Boys in Mexico is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE LAUGHING SERPENT. "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk. "See! There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob. "The laughing serpent?" inquired Ned.
Chapter 17 of The Motor Boys in Mexico is here in full — 126 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.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob.”
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading “"What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"The laughing serpent?" inquired Ned.”
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading “"What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.”
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading “"What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.”
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading “THE LAUGHING SERPENT.”
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “"What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.”
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading “THE LAUGHING SERPENT.”
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 "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "The laughing serpent?" inquired Ned.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading THE LAUGHING SERPENT.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The laughing serpent?" inquired Ned.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "See!
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading THE LAUGHING SERPENT.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAUGHING SERPENT.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
Chapter 17 of The Motor Boys in Mexico by Clarence Young holds 126 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 17 holds 126 sentences of The Motor Boys in Mexico, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Motor Boys in Mexico by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 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 17 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 in Mexico by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3950 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43204 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43204, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 329 minutes of reading across 790 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys in Mexico section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Motor Boys in Mexico 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 in Mexico, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
