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Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.
Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.
Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.
"Gee!
My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.
/tɑːm ɪz ˈreskjuːd ðə diːp ˈfɔːrəst θrɔːŋ ˈniːdəd noʊ ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ tuː fliː frʌm ðə pleɪs ʌv ðə mɪˈstɪriəs ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
Line 2
Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.
/ðer ˈprɪzənər ˈhelpləs æz hiː hæd siːmd hæd pruːvd tuː mʌtʃ fɔːr ðem/
Line 3
Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.
Line 4
"Gee!
/dʒiː/
Line 5
My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

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.

concussion noun US /kənˈkʌʃən/

injury to the brain caused by a blow; usually resulting in loss of consciousness

From this reading “Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.”

explosion noun US /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/

a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction

From this reading “TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.”

flee verb US /fliː/

run away quickly

From this reading “TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.”

Gee noun US /dʒiː/

a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated

From this reading “"Gee!”

masked adjective US /mæskt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading “Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.”

singed verb US /sɪndʒd/

past form of “singe” — burn superficially or lightly

From this reading “My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.”

stumbling verb US /ˈstʌmbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading “Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.”

urging noun US /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading “TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

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 My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

concussionnounUS /kənˈkʌʃən/

injury to the brain caused by a blow; usually resulting in loss of consciousness

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

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

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

DeepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/

a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

eyebrowsnounUS /ˈaɪbraʊz/

plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

fleeverbUS /fliː/

run away quickly

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

GeenounUS /dʒiː/

a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated

From this reading "Gee!

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

helplessadjectiveUS /ˈhelpləs/

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

ladsnounUS /lædz/

plural of “lad” — a boy or man

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

maskverbUS /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

maskedadjectiveUS /mæskt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

provedadjectiveUS /pruːvd/

established beyond doubt

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

rentverbUS /rent/

let for money

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

RESCUEDadjectiveUS /ˈreskjuːd/

delivered from danger

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

singedverbUS /sɪndʒd/

past form of “singe” — burn superficially or lightly

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

SlippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/

moving as on a slippery surface

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

Snedecker

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

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

stumblingverbUS /ˈstʌmbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Slipping and stumbling along in the darkness, the masked lads had but one thought--to get away before they saw more of that blue fire, and the force of the concussion.

ThrongnounUS /θrɔːŋ/

a large gathering of people

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Their prisoner, helpless as he had seemed, had proved too much for them.

torenounUS /tɔːr/

commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

urgingnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading TOM IS RESCUED The Deep Forest Throng needed no urging to flee from the place of the mysterious explosion.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading My eyebrows are all singed off!" cried Sam Snedecker, as he tore loose his mask which had been rent in the explosion, and felt of his face.

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout by Victor Appleton holds 115 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 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout contain?

Chapter 9 holds 115 sentences of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 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 9 of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout?

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 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 Electric Runabout

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

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout?

Yes. All 3026 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #950 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #950, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout take to read?

About 252 minutes of reading across 606 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout section by section

How to work through Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout

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

Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Exclaimed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Swift
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.