Chapter 4 of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom! Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum. "Come back here! If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!" "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
Chapter 4 of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading “KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!”
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading “KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!”
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.”
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading “Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.”
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading “If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"”
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading “"I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.”
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading “"I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.”
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading “Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.”
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.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Come back here!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come back here!
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
the act of departing
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Come back here!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading "I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
male cat
From this reading KOKU'S BRAVE ACT "Tom!
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his chum.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading If there's going to be an explosion we ought to run out of the back door!"
Chapter 4 of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon by Victor Appleton holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 4 holds 179 sentences of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 4 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 Giant Cannon by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3164 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1361 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1361, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 263 minutes of reading across 633 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon 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 Giant Cannon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
