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The presidential snapshot
The presidential snapshot

Chapter XI · On the Right Track

Chapter XI of The presidential snapshot, “On the Right Track,” is here in full — 190 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The presidential snapshot
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.
“You have seen him!” he exclaimed.
“Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”
“Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.
“I mean just that.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 presidential snapshot

Chapter XI · On the Right Track

Chapter XI of The presidential snapshot, “On the Right Track,” is here in full — 190 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.
/ðə ˈkæmərə tʃæp sterd æt ðə ɡɜːrl wɪð æz mʌtʃ ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti ˈrɪtən ɑːn hɪz feɪs æz ɪf ʃiː hæd dʒʌst toʊld hɪm ðæt ʃiː hæd bɪn ˈprezənt wen kəˈlʌmbəs ˈlændəd ɪn ðə nuː wɜːrld/
Line 2
“You have seen him!” he exclaimed.
/juː hæv siːn hɪm hiː ɪkˈskleɪmd/
Line 3
“Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”
Line 4
“Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.
/jes aɪ duː ðə ɡɜːrl dɪˈklerd ˈsmaɪlɪŋ ˈslaɪtli æt ðə ɪˈfekt hɜːr əˈnaʊnsmənt hæd əˈpɑːn hɪm/
Line 5
“I mean just that.
/aɪ miːn dʒʌst ðæt/

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.

announcement noun US /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

From this reading ““Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.”

Camera noun US /ˈkæmərə/

equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

Chap noun US /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

Columbus noun US /kəˈlʌmbəs/

the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

incredulity noun US /ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti/

doubt about the truth of something

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

landed adjective US /ˈlændəd/

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

slightly adverb US /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading ““Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.”

stared verb US /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

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.

stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

New World adjective + noun

the hemisphere that includes North America and South America

In this reading “The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

CameranounUS /ˈkæmərə/

equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

can't

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

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

ChapnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/

the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

ElnounUS /el/

angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

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

From this reading “You have seen him!” he exclaimed.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “You have seen him!” he exclaimed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “You have seen him!” he exclaimed.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

incredulitynounUS /ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti/

doubt about the truth of something

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

landedadjectiveUS /ˈlændəd/

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “You have seen him!” he exclaimed.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

SurelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

Torro

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

From this reading “Surely you can’t mean that you have been inside El Torro?”

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

WorldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The Camera Chap stared at the girl with as much incredulity written on his face as if she had just told him that she had been present when Columbus landed in the New World.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, I do!” the girl declared, smiling slightly at the effect her announcement had upon him.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You have seen him!” he exclaimed.

Chapter 11 of The presidential snapshot by Bertram Lebhar holds 190 sentences, grouped into 38 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 11 of The presidential snapshot contain?

Chapter 11 holds 190 sentences of The presidential snapshot, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The presidential snapshot by Bertram Lebhar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 190 sentences, grouped into 38 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 11 of The presidential snapshot?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 presidential snapshot

Common questions about reading The presidential snapshot by Bertram Lebhar on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The presidential snapshot?

Yes. All 4563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #70413 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The presidential snapshot is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #70413, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The presidential snapshot take to read?

About 380 minutes of reading across 913 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The presidential snapshot section by section

How to work through The presidential snapshot section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The presidential snapshot 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 presidential snapshot

Words and structures a reader meets early in The presidential snapshot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The presidential snapshot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The presidential snapshot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Italics
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The presidential snapshot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Splendid
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The presidential snapshot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.