Chapter 8 of Tom Swift and his talking pictures is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Tom Swift and his talking pictures is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that? What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout. “Are they going to ram us?” Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft. Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
Chapter 8 of Tom Swift and his talking pictures is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/15 · 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.
plural of “captive” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading “TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that?”
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
From this reading “Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.”
possessive form of “damon” — the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading “Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.”
-ing form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading “Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.”
a volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines
From this reading “Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.”
strike or drive against with a heavy impact
From this reading ““Are they going to ram us?””
place limits on (extent or amount or access)
From this reading “Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.”
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.
seek information from
In this reading “Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.”
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 Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
plural of “captive” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that?
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
possessive form of “damon” — the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
-ing form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
a volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
the act of departing
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
a form of address for a man
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
above and across; more than
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
strike or drive against with a heavy impact
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
move hurridly
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
moving very fast
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
place limits on (extent or amount or access)
From this reading Tom had been bending over the gasoline throttle in an endeavor to coax a little more speed out of their craft.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
male cat
From this reading What’s the matter?” cried Tom Swift, hearing Mr. Damon’s shout.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Are they going to ram us?”
precisely as stated
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Now he looked up to see that they were very near the fleeing boat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TWO CAPTIVES “WHAT’S that?
Chapter 8 of Tom Swift and his talking pictures by Victor Appleton holds 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 8 holds 75 sentences of Tom Swift and his talking pictures, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Tom Swift and his talking pictures by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 8 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 talking pictures by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and his talking pictures section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Tom Swift and his talking pictures 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 talking pictures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
