Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Airship is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Airship is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Are you all ready, Tom?" "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank. "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man. "Look out for yourself. I'm not sure what may happen."
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Airship is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
difficult to analyze or understand
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading “"I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.”
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
easily agitated
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
someone who asks a question
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading “"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.”
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 "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
(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 "Are you all ready, Tom?"
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you all ready, Tom?"
difficult to analyze or understand
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Look out for yourself.
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
the act of departing
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
come to pass
From this reading I'm not sure what may happen."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Look out for yourself.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I'm not sure what may happen."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
easily agitated
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I'm not sure what may happen."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Look out for yourself.
above and across; more than
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
someone who asks a question
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading "Are you all ready, Tom?"
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading I'm not sure what may happen."
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
male cat
From this reading "Are you all ready, Tom?"
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I'm not sure what may happen."
during the time that
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
which person or people
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you all ready, Tom?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "Look out for yourself.
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Airship by Victor Appleton holds 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 191 sentences of Tom Swift and His Airship, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Airship by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 Swift and His Airship by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3029 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3005 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3005, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 252 minutes of reading across 606 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Airship section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His Airship 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 Airship, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
