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The Rat Racket
The Rat Racket

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Rat Racket is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/101 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.
_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.
We hope no racketeers read this story.
They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.
Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Rat Racket

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Rat Racket is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/101 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.
Line 2
_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.
Line 3
We hope no racketeers read this story.
/wiː hoʊp noʊ ˌrækəˈtɪrz red ðɪs ˈstɔːri/
Line 4
They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.
/ðeɪ maɪt æz ə rɪˈzʌlt kɑːz ðə pəˈliːs sʌm ˈtrʌbəl/
Line 5
Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

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.

flaw noun US /flɔː/

an imperfection in an object or machine

From this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

groceries noun US /ˈɡroʊsəriz/

plural of “grocery” — a marketplace where groceries are sold

From this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

hitting noun US /ˈhɪtɪŋ/

the act of contacting one thing with another

From this reading “_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.”

importing noun US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtɪŋ/

the commercial activity of buying and bringing in goods from a foreign country

From this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

keller noun US /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading “By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.”

Keller's noun US /ˈkelərz/

possessive form of “keller” — United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading “_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.”

racket noun US /ˈrækɪt/

a loud and disturbing noise

From this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

racketeers noun US /ˌrækəˈtɪrz/

plural of “racketeer” — someone who commits crimes for profit (especially one who obtains money by fraud or extortion)

From this reading “We hope no racketeers read this story.”

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.

senior partner adjective + noun

In this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

twenty years noun + noun

In this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

profitable business adjective + noun

In this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

high grade adjective + noun

In this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

most profitable adverb + adjective

In this reading “Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.”

new idea adjective + noun

In this reading “_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.”

some trouble adjective + noun

In this reading “They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

brandnounUS /brænd/

a name given to a product or service

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

DAVIDnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪd/

patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

Dr

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

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

flawnounUS /flɔː/

an imperfection in an object or machine

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by good fortune

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

geniusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

gradenounUS /ɡreɪd/

a body of students who are taught together

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

groceriesnounUS /ˈɡroʊsəriz/

plural of “grocery” — a marketplace where groceries are sold

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

helpedverbUS /helpt/

past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

hittingnounUS /ˈhɪtɪŋ/

the act of contacting one thing with another

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

importingnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtɪŋ/

the commercial activity of buying and bringing in goods from a foreign country

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

ingeniousadjectiveUS /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

KELLERnounUS /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

Keller'snounUS /ˈkelərz/

possessive form of “keller” — United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

Moyer

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

Perkins

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

profitableadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːfətəbəl/

yielding material gain or profit

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

racketnounUS /ˈrækɪt/

a loud and disturbing noise

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

racketeersnounUS /ˌrækəˈtɪrz/

plural of “racketeer” — someone who commits crimes for profit (especially one who obtains money by fraud or extortion)

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

Richard

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

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

senioradjectiveUS /ˈsiːnjər/

older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

solutionnounUS /səˈluːʃən/

a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

spotsnounUS /spɑːts/

spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading They might, as a result, cause the police some trouble.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/

urgently needed; absolutely necessary

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We hope no racketeers read this story.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._ Richard Moyer, senior partner of the firm of Moyer & Perkins, read that letter over twice before he called in the man who had helped him make the importing of high grade groceries from England a most profitable business for over twenty years.

Chapter 1 of The Rat Racket by David H. (David Henry) Keller holds 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 1 of The Rat Racket contain?

Chapter 1 holds 509 sentences of The Rat Racket, unabridged, divided into 102 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Rat Racket by David H. (David Henry) Keller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 1 of The Rat Racket?

Work through the 102 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 102 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Rat Racket

Common questions about reading The Rat Racket by David H. (David Henry) Keller on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rat Racket?

Yes. All 509 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26890 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rat Racket is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26890, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rat Racket take to read?

About 42 minutes of reading across 102 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rat Racket section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Rat Racket 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 Rat Racket

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

David
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rat Racket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Keller
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rat Racket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Keller's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rat Racket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Genius
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rat Racket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.