Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and His Air Glider is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and His Air Glider is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke. In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them. Then Mr. Damon started forward. "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed. "It isn't possible!
Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and His Air Glider is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.”
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading “Then Mr. Damon started forward.”
ludicrously odd
From this reading “In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.”
shining unsteadily
From this reading “In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.”
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading “In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.”
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading “In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.”
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.”
a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity
From this reading “"Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.”
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 THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
give a benediction to
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading Then Mr. Damon started forward.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
ludicrously odd
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
shining unsteadily
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Then Mr. Damon started forward.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It isn't possible!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It isn't possible!
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Then Mr. Damon started forward.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
not any; not one
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "It isn't possible!
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Then Mr. Damon started forward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ESCAPE For a space of several seconds no one moved or spoke.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the flickering light of the candle they looked at one another, and then at the fantastic pillars of salt all about them.
a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity
From this reading "Bless my trolley car!" he exclaimed.
Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and His Air Glider by Victor Appleton holds 130 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 130 sentences of Tom Swift and His Air Glider, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Tom Swift and His Air Glider by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 Tom Swift and His Air Glider by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2853 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #952 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #952, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 237 minutes of reading across 571 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Air Glider section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His Air Glider 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 Swift and His Air Glider, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
