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Tom Swift and His Air Scout
Tom Swift and His Air Scout

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
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AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.
Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.
Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.
Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.
It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom Swift and His Air Scout

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.
/ˈæftər ə spaɪ ˈkjʊriəs æz ɪt meɪ siːm ɪˈrædəkeɪt ðə ˈoʊldəst ənd ˈsɜːrtənli nɑːt ðə moʊst ˌenərˈdʒetɪk ʌv ðə ˈpɑːrti əˈsembəld ɪn ðə ɪkˈsperəmənt ruːm wɑːz ðə fɜːrst tuː rɪˈkʌvər hɪmˈself ənd ərˈaɪz/
Line 2
Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.
/ˈtɑːtərɪŋ tuː hɪz fiːt hiː ɡeɪv wʌn lʊk æt ðə ˈtestɪŋ blɑːk wens ðə ˈmoʊtər hæd tɔːrn ˌɪtˈself/
Line 3
Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.
/ðen hiː lʊkt æt ðə ˈprɑːstreɪt ˈfɪɡjərz ərˈaʊnd hɪm nʌn ʌv ðem hɜːrt bʌt ɔːl stʌnd ənd ˈveri mʌtʃ ˈstɑːrtəld/
Line 4
Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.
/ðen ðə ɡeɪz ʌv ɪˈrædəkeɪt ˈtrævəld tuː ðə hoʊl ɪn ðə ruːf/
Line 5
It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈɡeɪpɪŋ ˈræɡəd hoʊl fɔːr ðə ˈmoʊtər wɑːz ˈhevi ənd ðə ruːf ʌv ˈflɪmzi məˈtɪriəl/

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.

energetic adjective US /ˌenərˈdʒetɪk/

possessing or exerting or displaying energy

From this reading “AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.”

Eradicate verb US /ɪˈrædəkeɪt/

kill in large numbers

From this reading “AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.”

flimsy adjective US /ˈflɪmzi/

lacking solidity or strength

From this reading “It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.”

gaping adjective US /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/

with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe

From this reading “It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.”

prostrate verb US /ˈprɑːstreɪt/

get into a prostrate position, as in submission

From this reading “Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.”

testing noun US /ˈtestɪŋ/

the act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works

From this reading “Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.”

Tottering adjective US /ˈtɑːtərɪŋ/

unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age

From this reading “Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.”

traveled adjective US /ˈtrævəld/

traveled over or through; sometimes used as a combining term

From this reading “Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

ariseverbUS /ərˈaɪz/

come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

blocknounUS /blɑːk/

a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

CuriousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

energeticadjectiveUS /ˌenərˈdʒetɪk/

possessing or exerting or displaying energy

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

EradicateverbUS /ɪˈrædəkeɪt/

kill in large numbers

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

experimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/

the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

flimsyadjectiveUS /ˈflɪmzi/

lacking solidity or strength

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

gapingadjectiveUS /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/

with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

holenounUS /hoʊl/

an opening into or through something

From this reading Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

materialadjectiveUS /məˈtɪriəl/

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

prostrateverbUS /ˈprɑːstreɪt/

get into a prostrate position, as in submission

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/

being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn

From this reading It was a gaping, ragged hole, for the motor was heavy and the roof of flimsy material.

recoververbUS /rɪˈkʌvər/

get or find back; recover the use of

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

SPYverbUS /spaɪ/

catch sight of

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

testingnounUS /ˈtestɪŋ/

the act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

tornadjectiveUS /tɔːrn/

having edges that are jagged from injury

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

TotteringadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːtərɪŋ/

unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

traveledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/

traveled over or through; sometimes used as a combining term

From this reading Then the gaze of Eradicate traveled to the hole in the roof.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Then he looked at the prostrate figures around him, none of them hurt, but all stunned and very much startled.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AFTER A SPY Curious as it may seem, Eradicate, the oldest and certainly not the most energetic of the party assembled in the experiment room, was the first to recover himself and arise.

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading Tottering to his feet he gave one look at the testing block, whence the motor had torn itself.

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout by Victor Appleton holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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.

What does chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout contain?

Chapter 9 holds 105 sentences of Tom Swift and His Air Scout, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 9 of Tom Swift and His Air Scout?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Tom Swift and His Air Scout

Common questions about reading Tom Swift and His Air Scout by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift and His Air Scout?

Yes. All 3072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1284 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift and His Air Scout is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1284, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Swift and His Air Scout take to read?

About 256 minutes of reading across 615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Tom Swift and His Air Scout

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Swift and His Air Scout, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Really
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Air Scout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Air Scout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lady--an
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Air Scout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Exceedingly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Air Scout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.