Chapter 1 of The Motor Boys on the Pacific is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Motor Boys on the Pacific is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker. “What’s smashed?” asked Ned. “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand. “It isn’t a letter. It’s a telegram.”
Chapter 1 of The Motor Boys on the Pacific is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
someone who bakes commercially
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
United States educator and theologian (1802-1887)
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
move stealthily
From this reading ““Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.”
very drunk
From this reading ““Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.”
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading “It’s a telegram.””
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 “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What’s smashed?” asked Ned.
someone who bakes commercially
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
United States educator and theologian (1802-1887)
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It isn’t a letter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It isn’t a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s a telegram.”
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
move stealthily
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
very drunk
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading It’s a telegram.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, she is smashed this time, sure!” exclaimed Jerry Hopkins, to his chums, Ned Slade and Bob Baker.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s smashed?” asked Ned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Who’s the letter from?” for Jerry had a slip of paper in his hand.
Chapter 1 of The Motor Boys on the Pacific by Clarence Young holds 173 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 1 holds 173 sentences of The Motor Boys on the Pacific, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Motor Boys on the Pacific by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 1 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 on the Pacific by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3396 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5004 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5004, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 283 minutes of reading across 680 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys on the Pacific section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Motor Boys on the Pacific 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 on the Pacific, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
