Chapter XXI of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold, “Rats in a Trap,” is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXI of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold, “Rats in a Trap,” is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber. “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had. But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted. “They will soon discover that we came in here.” “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
Chapter XXI of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold, “Rats in a Trap,” is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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 large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading ““You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.”
a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.
From this reading “But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.”
a steep high face of rock
From this reading ““Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.”
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading ““They will soon discover that we came in here.””
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading ““You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.”
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading ““We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.”
people who have retreated
From this reading ““You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.”
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading ““We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.”
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 ““Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.”
In this reading ““We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.”
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 “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
a steep high face of rock
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
not any; not one
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
people who have retreated
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
in the near future
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
male cat
From this reading “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading “We are like rats in a trap!” said Tom.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Cliff, it was a splendid idea that you had.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
(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 “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “They will soon discover that we came in here.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading But——” “With no door to barricade, we are no better off,” Cliff admitted.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You meant well,” Bill panted, as they retreated into their antechamber.
Chapter 21 of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold by Van Powell holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 21 holds 64 sentences of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold by Van Powell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 21 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 Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold by Van Powell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3248 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52683 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52683, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 270 minutes of reading across 650 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold 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 Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
