Chapter 3 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS. The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance. Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen. Already it was invested with fascination for them. Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
Chapter 3 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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 “acrobat” — an athlete who performs acts requiring skill and agility and coordination
From this reading “KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.”
a particular environment or walk of life
From this reading “Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.”
the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror)
From this reading “Already it was invested with fascination for them.”
third-person singular of “inspire” — heighten or intensify
From this reading “Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.”
past form of “invest” — make an investment
From this reading “Already it was invested with fascination for them.”
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading “KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.”
-ing form of “rehearse” — engage in a rehearsal
From this reading “Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.”
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading “Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.”
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 “acrobat” — an athlete who performs acts requiring skill and agility and coordination
From this reading KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already it was invested with fascination for them.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
a particular environment or walk of life
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror)
From this reading Already it was invested with fascination for them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
third-person singular of “inspire” — heighten or intensify
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
past form of “invest” — make an investment
From this reading Already it was invested with fascination for them.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
-ing form of “rehearse” — engage in a rehearsal
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
being one more than fifteen
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Already it was invested with fascination for them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading KIT ASTONISHES TWO ACROBATS.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The circus tent was nearly ready for the regular performance.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
which person or people
From this reading Two acrobats who performed what is called the "brothers' act" were rehearsing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Kit and Dan regarded the sawdust arena with the interest which it always inspires in boys of sixteen.
Chapter 3 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 3 holds 109 sentences of The Young Acrobat of the Great North, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4237 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22521 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22521, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 353 minutes of reading across 848 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Young Acrobat of the Great North section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Young Acrobat of the Great North 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 Young Acrobat of the Great North, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
