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The secret of the caves
The secret of the caves

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The secret of the caves is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The secret of the caves
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.
He welcomed them cheerily.
"Back so soon!" he exclaimed.
"I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.
What's the matter?
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 secret of the caves

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The secret of the caves is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.
Line 2
He welcomed them cheerily.
Line 3
"Back so soon!" he exclaimed.
/bæk soʊ suːn hiː ɪkˈskleɪmd/
Line 4
"I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.
/aɪ θɔːt ðɪs trɪp wʊd kiːp juː əˈweɪ æt liːst ə wiːk/
Line 5
What's the matter?

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.

clearing noun US /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

downstairs adverb US /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

earlier adverb US /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

Hardy adjective US /ˈhɑːrdi/

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

hospital noun US /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

refreshed adjective US /riˈfreʃt/

with restored energy

From this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

trip noun US /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading “"I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.”

welcomed verb US /ˈwelkəmd/

past form of “welcome” — accept gladly

From this reading “He welcomed them cheerily.”

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.

Next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

AT THE HOSPITAL preposition + article + noun counted as “at … hospital”

In this reading “AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

BackadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "Back so soon!" he exclaimed.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

cheerilyadverb

in a cheerful manner

From this reading He welcomed them cheerily.

Chet

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

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

From this reading "Back so soon!" he exclaimed.

Fenton

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

HardyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdi/

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He welcomed them cheerily.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

HOSPITALnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

Joe

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading What's the matter?

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

NextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

refreshedadjectiveUS /riˈfreʃt/

with restored energy

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Back so soon!" he exclaimed.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading "Back so soon!" he exclaimed.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He welcomed them cheerily.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

tripnounUS /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

welcomedverbUS /ˈwelkəmd/

past form of “welcome” — accept gladly

From this reading He welcomed them cheerily.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

What's

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

From this reading What's the matter?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading AT THE HOSPITAL Next morning, refreshed by their sleep, Frank, Joe and Chet were downstairs early, but not earlier than Fenton Hardy, who was already busy in his office clearing up some work before breakfast.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I thought this trip would keep you away at least a week.

Chapter 24 of The secret of the caves by Franklin W. Dixon holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 24 of The secret of the caves contain?

Chapter 24 holds 136 sentences of The secret of the caves, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The secret of the caves by Franklin W. Dixon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 24 of The secret of the caves?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 secret of the caves

Common questions about reading The secret of the caves by Franklin W. Dixon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The secret of the caves?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The secret of the caves is used?

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

How long does The secret of the caves take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The secret of the caves section by section

How to work through The secret of the caves section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 secret of the caves

Words and structures a reader meets early in The secret of the caves, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The secret of the caves, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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