Chapter 1 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS. AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC. FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS. GUNBOAT SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON.
Chapter 1 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS.”
a small shallow-draft boat carrying mounted guns; used by costal patrols
From this reading “GUNBOAT SERIES.”
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading “_THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.”
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading “By HARRY CASTLEMON.”
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.”
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.”
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading “_THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.”
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 “_THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.”
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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS.
a youthful male person
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By HARRY CASTLEMON.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS.
a signal to proceed
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.
a small shallow-draft boat carrying mounted guns; used by costal patrols
From this reading GUNBOAT SERIES.
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading By HARRY CASTLEMON.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE GUN-BOAT SERIES,” “THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._ THE BOY OF BAD HABITS.
Chapter 1 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon holds 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 1 holds 250 sentences of Tom Newcombe, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 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.
Common questions about reading Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4740 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64169 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #64169, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 395 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Newcombe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Newcombe 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 Tom Newcombe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
