Chapter 20 of The rival bicyclists is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The rival bicyclists is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY. Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings. How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty. “It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns. “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
Chapter 20 of The rival bicyclists is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
the act of burning something
From this reading “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading ““It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.”
a nonparticipant spectator
From this reading ““He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.”
marked for certain death
From this reading ““He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.”
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading “How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.”
plural of “save” — (sports) the act of preventing the opposition from scoring
From this reading “JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.”
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 “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
In this reading “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
In this reading “Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.”
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 How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
the act of burning something
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading “It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.
a nonparticipant spectator
From this reading “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.
marked for certain death
From this reading “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
an opposing military force
From this reading JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
plural of “save” — (sports) the act of preventing the opposition from scoring
From this reading JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.
in or at that place or location
From this reading How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.
Chapter 20 of The rival bicyclists by Edward Stratemeyer holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 holds 100 sentences of The rival bicyclists, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The rival bicyclists by Edward Stratemeyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 20 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 rival bicyclists by Edward Stratemeyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The rival bicyclists section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The rival bicyclists 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 rival bicyclists, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
