Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me. I wonder who he was? I wish I had a machine like that. I could make better time than I can on my bicycle. Perhaps I'll get one some day.
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading “I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.”
past form of “crash” — fall or come down violently
From this reading “"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.”
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading “"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.”
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “I wish I had a machine like that.”
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading “"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.”
male cat
From this reading “"Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.”
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “I wonder who he was?”
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 I wish I had a machine like that.
(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 "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
past form of “crash” — fall or come down violently
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I wish I had a machine like that.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wonder who he was?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wonder who he was?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I wish I had a machine like that.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading I wish I had a machine like that.
engage in
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Perhaps I'll get one some day.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I wish I had a machine like that.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I could make better time than I can on my bicycle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
male cat
From this reading "Everything seems to be all right," Tom remarked, "but another inch or so and he'd have crashed into me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I wonder who he was?
which person or people
From this reading I wonder who he was?
hope for; have a wish
From this reading I wish I had a machine like that.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I wonder who he was?
Chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle by Victor Appleton holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.
Chapter 1 holds 120 sentences of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 Motor-Cycle by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2983 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4230 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4230, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 248 minutes of reading across 597 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle 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 Motor-Cycle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
