Chapter 3 of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson? Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite? What did his aunt say to him? What may we learn from this? What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
Chapter 3 of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading “Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?”
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading “Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?”
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading “EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?”
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading “Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?”
a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value
From this reading “Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?”
a unit of instruction
From this reading “EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?”
a favorite saying of a sect or political group
From this reading “What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?”
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading “What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?”
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.
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading What did his aunt say to him?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What did his aunt say to him?
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading What may we learn from this?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What did his aunt say to him?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading What may we learn from this?
a unit of instruction
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading What may we learn from this?
a favorite saying of a sect or political group
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
express in words
From this reading What did his aunt say to him?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading What may we learn from this?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading EXERCISE--What is the subject of this lesson?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite?
Chapter 3 of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader by William Holmes [Compiler] McGuffey holds 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 3 holds 169 sentences of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader by William Holmes [Compiler] McGuffey exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 3 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 New McGuffey Fourth Reader by William Holmes [Compiler] McGuffey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2855 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1490 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1490, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 237 minutes of reading across 571 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The New McGuffey Fourth Reader section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The New McGuffey Fourth Reader 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 New McGuffey Fourth Reader, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
