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Tom Swift and his chest of secrets
Tom Swift and his chest of secrets

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Swift and his chest of secrets
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!
Hop in!
Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.
“How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.
“Is Koku mad?”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom Swift and his chest of secrets

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!
/ˈmeni streɪndʒ kluːz kʌm ɑːn ræd/
Line 2
Hop in!
/hɑːp ɪn/
Line 3
Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.
Line 4
“How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.
Line 5
“Is Koku mad?”

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.

clews noun US /kluːz/

the cords used to suspend a hammock

From this reading “MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!”

colored adjective US /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading ““How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.”

Hop verb US /hɑːp/

jump lightly

From this reading “Hop in!”

joints noun US /dʒɔɪnts/

plural of “joint” — (anatomy) the point of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton (especially if it allows motion)

From this reading ““How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.”

motioned verb US /ˈmoʊʃənd/

past form of “motion” — show, express or direct through movement

From this reading “Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.”

Rad noun US /ræd/

a unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material

From this reading “MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!”

rheumatic noun US /ruːˈmætɪk/

a person suffering with rheumatism

From this reading ““How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.”

runabout noun US /ˈrʌnəbaʊt/

an open automobile having a front seat and a rumble seat

From this reading “Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

colored man adjective + noun

In this reading ““How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.”

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

CLEWSnounUS /kluːz/

the cords used to suspend a hammock

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

COMEverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

HopverbUS /hɑːp/

jump lightly

From this reading Hop in!

How

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Hop in!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

jointsnounUS /dʒɔɪnts/

plural of “joint” — (anatomy) the point of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton (especially if it allows motion)

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

Koku

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading “Is Koku mad?”

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

MANYadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

motionedverbUS /ˈmoʊʃənd/

past form of “motion” — show, express or direct through movement

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

Ned

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

RadnounUS /ræd/

a unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

rheumaticnounUS /ruːˈmætɪk/

a person suffering with rheumatism

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

runaboutnounUS /ˈrʌnəbaʊt/

an open automobile having a front seat and a rumble seat

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

ShowverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading MANY STRANGE CLEWS “COME on, Rad!

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

we'll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Show us where Koku is and we’ll soon have him loose!” cried Tom, as he motioned to the rear of the runabout, for he and Ned were seated in front.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “How is Koku taking being tied up?” asked Ned while the colored man climbed in as quickly as his rheumatic joints would allow.

Chapter 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets by Victor Appleton holds 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

What does chapter 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets contain?

Chapter 20 holds 111 sentences of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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 20 of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 20 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Tom Swift and his chest of secrets

Common questions about reading Tom Swift and his chest of secrets by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift and his chest of secrets is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Tom Swift and his chest of secrets

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Swift and his chest of secrets, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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