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The Motor Boys in Strange Waters
The Motor Boys in Strange Waters

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Motor Boys in Strange Waters
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.
“It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.
“Wonder what he wants?”
By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.
The train had not yet gathered much headway.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Motor Boys in Strange Waters

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.
/ðə ˈdʒaɪənt ˈtɜːrtəl ðə θriː tʃʌmz θrʌst ðer hedz frʌm ðə ˈwɪndoʊz ˈnɪrəst ðem/
Line 2
“It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.
Line 3
“Wonder what he wants?”
/ˈwʌndər wʌt hiː wɑːnts/
Line 4
By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.
Line 5
The train had not yet gathered much headway.
/ðə treɪn hæd nɑːt jet ˈɡæðərd mʌtʃ ˈhedweɪ/

Learner Dictionary

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.

boyish adjective US /ˈbɔɪɪʃ/

befitting or characteristic of a young boy

From this reading ““It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.”

chums noun US /tʃʌmz/

plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

giant noun US /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

headway noun US /ˈhedweɪ/

vertical space available to allow easy passage under something

From this reading “The train had not yet gathered much headway.”

Jerry noun US /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading ““It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.”

nearest adverb US /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

platform noun US /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

From this reading ““It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.”

turtle noun US /ˈtɜːrtəl/

a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

caught sight verb + noun counted as “catch sight”

see something for a brief time

In this reading ““It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.”

station platform noun + noun

In this reading ““It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.”

three chums noun + noun counted as “three chum”

In this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

from the windows preposition + article + noun counted as “from … windows”

In this reading “THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

Andy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

boyishadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪɪʃ/

befitting or characteristic of a young boy

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

chumsnounUS /tʃʌmz/

plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

GIANTnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

headwaynounUS /ˈhedweɪ/

vertical space available to allow easy passage under something

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

It's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

platformnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

RushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading “It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Jerry, as he caught sight of the boyish figure running down the station platform.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

TURTLEnounUS /ˈtɜːrtəl/

a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

wantsnounUS /wɑːnts/

plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading “Wonder what he wants?”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “Wonder what he wants?”

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading By this time Andy was under the windows on the side of the car where the boys sat.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading THE GIANT TURTLE The three chums thrust their heads from the windows nearest them.

WondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading “Wonder what he wants?”

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The train had not yet gathered much headway.

Chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters by Clarence Young holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters contain?

Chapter 4 holds 115 sentences of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading The Motor Boys in Strange Waters

Common questions about reading The Motor Boys in Strange Waters by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters?

Yes. All 3563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44951 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44951, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Motor Boys in Strange Waters take to read?

About 296 minutes of reading across 713 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Motor Boys in Strange Waters section by section

How to work through The Motor Boys in Strange Waters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Motor Boys in Strange Waters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Motor Boys in Strange Waters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Racer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ranger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.